University News Last updated 10 August 2023
Dr Philip Oamen, Lecturer in Law at BCU, won BCU's 'Highly Commended' Award in the 'Most Impactful Consultancy Project' category, at the Knowledge Exchange Awards Dinner on 27 June 2023. The award is in recognition of his research project titled 'Rights of Older Persons in Africa'.
The Knowledge Exchange Awards celebrates the hard work and achievement of BCU staff, projects and programmes that have contributed to the area of knowledge exchange.
Rights of Older People in Africa
Dr Oamen’s research aims to give insight into reviewing existing laws and policies in favour of older people’s rights in Africa. He has provided expert submissions to international and regional institutions and policymakers.
Since the Knowledge Exchange Awards, Dr Oamen has deepened his pro-older persons commitment by presenting a research paper titled 'Older Persons' Rights and Mental Health Law in Africa and Europe: A Comparative Approach' at the annual conference of the Society of Legal Scholars, which took place at Oxford Brookes University in June 2023.
Dr Oamen said:
The Centre for Human Rights at BCU promotes the protection of human rights globally. As part of the Centre, Dr Oamen recently made evidence submissions to the United Nations and the African Union, on the promotion of the rights of older persons in Africa. In 2021, Dr Oamen participated in external engagements with the African Commission and the University of Pretoria to persuade African governments to ratify the Protocol on the Rights of Older Persons. Before his engagements, only 2 African countries had ratified the Protocol, but currently, 11 countries have now ratified it. The Protocol requires 15 countries' ratification before it can come into force. Dr Oamen believes that, with further engagements and sensitisation campaigns, there is hope that 4 more countries will ratify the protocol to make it effective.