Geneva Academy of International Humanitarian Law and Human Rights

Our students benefit from the presence of teaching assistants in class who are PhD candidates at one of our parent institutions, the Geneva Graduate Institute and the University of Geneva.

Each year they share insights into their research in an informal research showcase led by our Coordinator of Professionalizing Activities, Gregory Pasche. We would like to thank Kiana, Revaz, Victoria and Shima for taking the time to speak to the students and for fielding all their questions so generously!

🎓 What does life look like after the Geneva Academy of IHL and Human Rights?

This spring, our LLM-MAS students had the privilege of hearing directly from alumni who have built careers in international law and human rights — right here in Geneva.

Over two evening sessions in the Cassese room at Villa Moynier, alumni shared their journeys: how they navigated the job market after graduating, the skills that proved most valuable, and the lessons they wish they’d known earlier.

The informal dialogue format — followed by drinks and snacks on the terrace — created exactly the kind of candid, honest conversation that a classroom rarely can. Students left with practical advice, new connections, and a clearer sense of the paths ahead.

A huge thank you to our wonderful alumni for giving their time and expertise.

Summer 2026. Seven courses. Zero excuses. 🌍

Applications are now open for our Summer Intensive Courses in international humanitarian law and human rights — short, rigorous, fully online, and built around the issues that matter most right now.

Choose your topic: ⚖️ Accountability for Atrocity Crimes 🤖 Human Rights & AI Systems 🧒 Protection of Children in Armed Conflicts 🌿 Frontiers in International Human Rights Law 🔫 Armed Non-State Actors & International Law 🕊️ Transitional Justice & Structural Violence 💣 Weapons Law Fundamentals

Led by world-class experts. Limited to 25 participants each. Designed to fit around your work schedule.

📆 June – August 2026 | Online 🏷️ CHF 950 per course 📩 Apply via the link in bio

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The Geneva Marathon is an annual highlight to our students 🏃‍♂️✨ This year, 59 of them participated, with 5 completing the full marathon💪 Congratulations to all of them!

🚀 Advance your expertise without pausing your career with our fully online Executive Master – MAS in International Law in Armed Conflict

🗓️ Upcoming Information Session: Wednesday 20 May 2026 at 12:30h (Geneva local time) via Zoom

Join us to discover the curriculum, meet alumni, and learn how this flexible, part-time format fits your schedule - dm for the link!

Jointly awarded by the University of Geneva and the Geneva Graduate Institute, this 60 ECTS programme is designed for those seeking to advance their careers or re-orient their professional focus while continuing to work.

✔️ 100% Online: Study from anywhere while maintaining your professional commitments.
✔️ Prestigious Degree: A joint diploma from two leading Geneva institutions. ✔️ Expert Faculty: Learn from leading academic experts and practitioners
✔️ Global Network: Connect with high-level professionals from diverse backgrounds.

Applications for the 2026–2028 cohort are open until 30 May 2026.

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👏 It was a pleasure to host Professor Gilles Carbonnier as part of our Geneva Academy Talks series last week. At the end of his second term as Vice-President of the ICRC, Professor Carbonnier shared insights into contemporary humanitarian dilemmas, drawing on his extensive experience in academia and practice. Our students had the opportunity to ask questions, interact with him, and share their reflections.

A warm thanks to Professor Carbonnier for joining us and to all participants for the engaging discussion!

What does it actually take to make legal safeguards work in interrogation practice?

This urgent question was at the heart of two intense days of expert discussions in Geneva last week. Over 25 specialists—from law, science, and ethics—came together for a meeting co-organized by ImpleMéndez COST Action and the Geneva Academy of International Humanitarian Law and Human Rights. The interdisciplinary friction wasn’t just inevitable—it was productive, sharpening the debate and pushing boundaries.

The conclusions were clear. Protections must begin at the moment of arrest and function as an interconnected system, not a checklist. Institutional culture matters as much as legal text. Participants pushed for more inclusive vulnerability frameworks, recognising the distinct needs of children and neurodivergent individuals, and argued for a shift from deficit-based to strength-based approaches. Recording was affirmed as essential for accountability, even as tensions around selective use and privacy remain. Perhaps most strikingly, informal questioning was flagged as the critical gap. Indeed, it is in the space before formal procedures begin, where rights are most fragile and safeguards most likely to collapse.

The Méndez Principles exist. The harder task is translating them into diverse professional and cultural realities. That work requires sustained, interdisciplinary effort, and conversations like these. Special thanks to the co-organisers and all participants who made these important discussions possible.

📢 Last chance to register — War WATCH launch event this Monday!

Wars are being fought. Civilians are being harmed. But does international law apply — and is it being respected? These are not abstract questions. They determine who gets protection, who can be held accountable, and how the world responds to the conflicts shaping our times.

On Monday 27 April, we are launching War WATCH, the Geneva Academy’s new portal tracking armed conflicts worldwide and analysing compliance with international humanitarian law. Through concrete examples — including the situations in Haiti and Iran — our speakers will explore what conflict classification means in practice, why upholding IHL matters, and what happens when it isn’t.

🔗 Join us at the Geneva Graduate Institute (Room A2), 12:30–14:00 - Register via ‘Events’ in our linktree

AHRI Conference 2026 - Call for papers open!

The Geneva Academy is pleased to co-organize the Association of Human Rights Institutes (AHRI) Conference 2026, together with the , the Faculty of Law of and .

Taking place in Geneva from 4 to 6 November 2026, the Conference will explore the theme « Enduring contributions and challenges : the 60-year legacies of the International Convenants and the Human Rights Council ».

This is a unique opportunity for scholars and practitioners to contribute to key discussions shaping the future of human rights.

📝 Submit your paper or panel proposal by 25 April (link of the call for papers in bio)

We look forward to receiving your submissions!

🚀 Advance your expertise without pausing your career with our fully online Executive Master – MAS in International Law in Armed Conflict

🔹 Flexible Format: Tailored for working professionals
🔹 Expert Faculty: Learn from leading practitioners and academics
🔹 Global Network: Expand your professional connections

Applications are open! Take the next step in your career and apply today at geneva-academy.ch