In 2009, the University of Pretoria Faculty of Law's Centre for Human Rights, with the assistance of the Office of the United Nations High Commissioner for Human Rights, organised the inaugural edition.

Previously, the oral rounds of the competition were held annually in Pretoria, the administrative and de facto capital of South Africa.

[2][3] In more recent years, the competition has been held in Geneva, where the United Nations is headquartered.

The World Human Rights Moot Court Competition is an exciting way for students from around the world to deepen their knowledge of rights and learn from each other.The moot involves a written round after which teams are selected for the oral round.

In the final for the international rounds, the panel is made up of eminent jurists and judges from international tribunals and bodies such as the different regional human rights courts and UN human rights treaty bodies.