The team of the Faculty of Law and Political Science at An-Najah National University won third
place (joint) in the first edition of the Arab Human Rights Moot Court Competition, organized by
the United Nations Centre for Training and Documentation in the Field of Human Rights for
South-West Asia and the Arab Region, and was hosted by the Doha Institute for Graduate
Studies in Doha, Qatar.

A total of fifty-two teams from various law faculties across the Arab world participated in the
competition, which aims to develop students’ skills in legal pleading and argumentation through
realistic simulations of international and regional court proceedings, with a particular focus on
human rights cases.
An-Najah National University’s team, representing the State of Palestine, reached the final round
of the competition—the oral pleadings stage—after demonstrating exceptional skills in legal
analysis, drafting written memorials, and presenting oral arguments before panels of judges
composed of academics and international law and human rights experts. The team successfully
advanced through the preliminary rounds, where they competed against teams from Cairo
University and Sultan Qaboos University, ultimately qualifying for the semifinals and achieving
third place (joint) in the final results.
The university’s team participating in the competition was represented by the students Maryam
Zaghloul, Yazan Qassas, Enas Shana’a, and Ro’a Jaradat, under the supervision and training of
Ms. Bisan Abtli, the coordinator of the Palestinian institute of IHL and HR.
The participation of An-Najah National University in this competition represents the culmination
of the efforts of the Palestinian Institute for International Humanitarian Law and Human Rights,
which provided the team’s training and preparation as part of the activities of the EU-funded
project to establish the Institute. This project aims to enhance international legal education and
advance the teaching of international humanitarian law and human rights in Palestinian
universities.
This achievement underscores the importance of investing in the capacity building of Palestinian
law students and empowering them to actively participate in regional and international academic
platforms—thereby strengthening Palestine’s presence in global legal dialogues and promoting
the values of human rights and international justice.