Nigerian lawyer wins CEU alumni award

A Nigerian lawyer, Dr. Uchenna Emelonye has been decorated with the Outstanding Career Achievement award of the Central European University, (CEU).

CEU is a post graduate institution in Budapest Hungary, funded by billionaire and philanthropist George Soros and dedicated to promoting open societies worldwide.

As part of the celebration of its 25th Anniversary, CEU held the Alumni Impact Award on May 7, 2016 to showcase and salute those alumni whose actions have helped to bolster its overall mission and enhance its international reputation.

The award was vested on 25 recipients selected from among more than 13, 000 fellow alumni all doing impressive things around the world.

Emelonye graduated from the CEU Legal Studies Department in 2004 with an LL.M in Human Rights Law. He is presently the Country Representative of the United Nations Office of the High Commissioner for Human Rights in Uganda. Prior to this position, he was the Senior Human Rights
Adviser to the United Nations Africa Headquarters in Kenya; Head, Governance, Institutional and Justice Reform Division of the international Development Law Organisation Rome, Italy; Judicial Affairs Officer of the United Nations-African Union Mission in Darfur Sudan.

Emelonye was also a Human Rights Officer with the United Nations Office of the High Commissioner for Human Rights in Pristina Kosovo, and the United Nations Mission in South Sudan; chief-of-Party of RCN Justice and Democratic, Brussels, Belgium; Rule of Law Coordinator of the International Rescue Committee, New York, USA and Executive Director of the Constitutional Rights Project Nigeria.

He holds a doctorate degree in Law (LL.D) from the University of Helsinki Finland; master’s degree in Human Rights Law (LL.M) from Central European University, Budapest Hungary; another master’s degree in law (LL.M) from Abia State University in Nigeria and a bachelor’s degree in law (LL.B) from Abia State University Nigeria. He was admitted a barrister and solicitor of the Supreme Court of Nigeria in 1995. Amongst numerous international peer review articles, Dr. Emelonye has authored and contributed chapters to 8 books in the area of human rights, rule of law, protection of civilians and good governance.

He is married to Dr. Mrs. Abigal Emelonye (Nee Nymmyel) and they are blessed with three children, Uchenna, Uchechi and Ucheoma.