Justice Gérard Niyungeko is a national of Burundi. He was elected Judge of the African Court on Human and Peoples’ Rights in 2006 for a term of six years (renewable once only). He served as the first President of the Court (2006-2008). He was re-elected for the second term as President of the African Court for the period 2010-2012.

Justice Gérard Niyungeko is a holder of a PhD in Law from the University of Brussels (1988) and a Professor of International Law, Constitutional Law and Human Rights Law at the University of Burundi.

He also holds a Bachelor’s Degree in Law from the University of Burundi (1979), a Master’s Degree in International Law from the University of Brussels (1983) and Diploma of the Hague Academy of International Law (1984).

He served as a visiting teacher at the Summer Courses of International Humanitarian Law in Dijon (France, September 1992) and Nottwill (Switzerland, September 1994); at the University of Brussels (2002-2003); at the Hague Academy of International Law (July-August 2007); at the Ottawa University (January 2009) and at the International Institute of Human Rights (Strasbourg, France, July 2010). From 1999 to 2003, Justice Gerard Niyungeko was the Chair-Holder of UNESCO Chair in Education for Peace and Conflict Resolution at the University of Burundi.

He was the Vice-Rector of the University of Burundi (1997-2000); President of the Constitutional Commission of Burundi (1991-1992); President of the Constitutional Court of Burundi (1992-1996); Member of the Tribunal of the Preferential Trade Area of the Eastern and Southern African Countries (PTA) (1991-1996); Counsel before the International Arbitral Tribunal (Brussels, 1991-1992) and before the International Court of Justice (1999-2001 and 2002-2005); Consultant in the United Nations System (2001 and 2002) and within the African Union Commission (2005-2006). He is currently a member of the Panel of Arbitrators of the International Centre for Settlement of Investment Disputes (ICSID).

He is the author of several works, including the following: Les droits de l’homme, cours destiné aux formateurs, Bujumbura, 1994, 92 p.; La preuve devant les juridictions internationales, Bruxelles, Bruylant, 2005, 480 p.