Geneva Academy of International Humanitarian Law and Human Rights

The Geneva Academy of international Humanitarian Law and Human Rights (French: Académie de droit international humanitaire et de droits humains à Genève) is a postgraduate joint center (between the University of Geneva and the Graduate Institute of International and Development Studies) located in Geneva, Switzerland. The faculty includes professors from both founding institutions and guest professors from major universities .[1]

Geneva Academy of International humanitarian law and Human Rights
Académie de droit international humanitaire et de droits humains à Genève
Villa Moynier
Established2007 (2007)
AffiliationUniversity of Geneva; The Graduate Institute
DirectorProfessor Marco Sassòli
Location
Geneva
,
GE
,
Switzerland
Websitewww.geneva-academy.ch

The alumni include many actors of the humanitarian world, executives of various organizations across the world and foreign affairs executives.[2] The school has a diverse student body of a cosmopolitan character due to its 80 percent intake of international students.[3] It is located on the shores of the Lake Geneva (lac Léman) blocks from the United Nations headquarters in Europe, and the Palace of Nations as well as the Graduate Institute of International and Development Studies.

It is located in the Villa Moynier building, built in 1847 and owned by Gustave Moynier, co-founder of the International Committee of the Red Cross.

History

Professor Andrew Clapham was the first Director of the Geneva Academy (2006–2014). From August 2014 to August 2018, the Geneva Academy was directed by Professor Robert Roth. In August 2018, Professor Marco Sassòli became the new Director of the Geneva Academy. He has been Professor of International Law at the University of Geneva Law Faculty since 2004 and has been teaching IHL at the Geneva Academy since this time. He is Associate Professor at the University of Quebec in Montreal (Canada), Commissioner of the International Commission of Jurists and Special Advisor (pro bono) on IHL to the Prosecutor of the International Criminal Court, and has previously worked for the International Committee of the Red Cross (ICRC) as Deputy Head of its Legal Division in Geneva and Head of Delegation in the field.[4] Professor Gloria Gaggioli, Associate/SNF Professor at the Law Faculty of the University of Geneva, took over as Director in August 2020.[5]

Master's programmes

The Geneva Academy offers three master's programmes:

  • LLM in International Humanitarian Law and Human Rights[6]
  • Master of Advanced Studies in Transitional Justice, Human Rights and the Rule of Law[7]
  • Executive Master in International Law in Armed Conflict[8]

Training and short courses

The Geneva Academy offers a range of training and short courses for professionals on legal issues related to armed conflicts, human rights protection, transitional justice and international criminal justice.

Research

The Geneva Academy conducts legal research and policy studies in the fields of international law in armed conflict, human rights protection, transitional justice, international criminal justice, weapons law, or economic, social and cultural rights.

Current research projects include the protection of persons with disabilities during and following armed conflicts, human rights responsibilities and armed non-state actors, human rights and gender equality in the context of business activities, or the rights of peasants.

The Geneva Academy also runs the online platform Rule of Law in Armed Conflicts (RULAC) that systematically qualifies situations of armed violence using the definition of armed conflict under international humanitarian law.

The Geneva Academy is home to the Swiss Chair of International Humanitarian Law, currently held by Professor Robin Geiß, Professor of International Law and Security at the University of Glasgow, Director of the Glasgow Centre for International Law and Security (GCILS) and a former Legal Adviser to the International Committee of the Red Cross,[9] and the Human Rights Chair, currently held by Professor Nils Melzer, UN Special Rapporteur on torture and other cruel, inhuman or degrading treatment or punishment.[10]

Villa Moynier
Geneva Villa Moynier

The Geneva Academy is headquartered at the Villa Moynier, a historic villa surrounded by a beautiful park with a view of Lake Geneva and Mont Blanc. It was the property of Gustave Moynier, the first President of the ICRC. It later housed the League of Nations in 1926 and served as headquarters for the ICRC between 1933 and 1946. Villa Moynier forms part of the Graduate Institute's Campus de la paix and is five minutes’ walk from the Maison de la paix.

References
  1. "Profiles". Geneva-academy.ch. Retrieved 2014-06-10.
  2. "Profiles". Geneva-academy.ch. Retrieved 2014-07-31.
  3. "Geneva Academy of International Humanitarian Law and Human rights – Admission". Geneva-academy.ch. Retrieved 2014-07-31.
  4. http://graduateinstitute.ch/home/relations-publiques/news-at-the-institute/news-archives.html/_/news/corporate/2014/new-director-of-the-academy-of-h
  5. https://www.geneva-academy.ch/news/detail/362-professor-gloria-gaggioli-is-the-new-director-of-the-geneva-academy
  6. "MAS – LL.M. International Humanitarian Law and Human Rights / Droit international humanitaire et droits humains – Formation continue – UNIGE". Unige.ch. 2014-03-04. Retrieved 2014-06-10.
  7. "MAS – Transitional Justice, Human Rights and the Rule of Law – Centre de formation continue et à distance – UNIGE". www.unige.ch (in French). Retrieved 2017-03-23.
  8. "Joint Programmes". Graduateinstitute.ch. Retrieved 2014-06-10.
  9. https://www.geneva-academy.ch/news/detail/296-robin-geiss-is-the-new-swiss-ihl-chair
  10. "Special Rapporteur on torture and other cruel, inhuman or degrading treatment or punishment". www.ohchr.org. Retrieved 2017-03-23.
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