Dr Samantha Spence, Senior Lecturer in Law at Staffordshire University, has been invited to participate, as speaker, in an expert consultation organized by the United Nations Human Rights Office (OHCHR).

The expert consultation takes place in accordance with Human Rights Council resolution 47/8, on human rights violations and abuses rooted in harmful practices related to accusations of witchcraft and ritual attacks. The expert consultation will take place from 18-19 July 2022 at the UN Palais des Nations in Geneva. Switzerland, with the participation of various experts and stakeholders.  

The objective of the expert consultation is to analyse the human rights and gender impact of harmful practices arising from witchcraft accusations and ritual attacks on groups at risk, and to identify measures to prevent them, protect those vulnerable to them, and implement accountability measures for such violations. The outcome of the meeting will inform the preparation of a study to present at the Human Rights Council at its fifty-second session.  

“I am thrilled and honoured to be invited to participate in the OHCHR expert consultation, continuing the important work done so far, and raising awareness of harmful practices related to accusations of witchcraft and ritual attacks.”