Nelson Mandela Lecture 2024 - Intersectionality of race and gender in affirmative action processes

As part of the Moot, the Fifth Nelson Mandela Lecture took place on the evening of 17 July at the Maison de la Paix. The Geneva Human Rights Platform played a pivotal role in ensuring that this lecture took place.
Unpacking the theme of the ‘Intersectionality of race and gender in affirmative action processes’, the main speaker of the day, Ms Patricia Galvao Teles, emphasised the need to promote gender parity in international spaces including the International Law Commission (ILC) where she currently serves as a member. The auditorium was astounded to hear that women only occupy 6 of the 36 seats in the ILC. This set the tone of the lecture, as key provisions of instruments such as the CEDAW were touched upon including the draft General Recommendation 40 that further articulates how gender parity may be achieved.