By tim
Professor Cécile Aptel is joining the Geneva Academy of International Humanitarian Law and Human Rights as its new Executive Director. She succeeds Professor Paola Gaeta who was the Director from August 2024, and co-led the Academy from 2010 to 2014. Professor Aptel brings over 30 years of experience from senior leadership and advisory roles across … Continued
By tim
We are proud to announce the release of the ‘War Watch – IHL in Focus Report 2025’, a new 500+ page global analysis examining the most serious violations of international humanitarian law (IHL) committed between July 2024 to December 2025. The report documents widespread and often systematic war crimes committed with impunity across 23 armed … Continued
By tim
Neurotechnology is advancing, in many different ways. Fuelled by parallel developments in artificial intelligence, the field is characterised by significant growth in start-ups, patents, and public and private investment. This expansion is driving an increasing number of neurotechnological applications within clinical and research settings, but equally beyond into broader societal domains, with neurotechnologies anticipated to … Continued
By tim
Our recent working paper, ‘Reframing Military Expenditure as a Human Rights Issue‘, written by Florence Foster, argues that military spending must be understood not only as a matter of national security or fiscal policy, but as a direct human rights concern. The paper examines how large-scale defense budgets can divert resources from essential public services … Continued
By tim
Authored by Emma Bapt and Rose Sandford, our recent working paper examines how the targeting and repression of sexual orientation and gender identity (SOGI) minorities in the Russian Federation functions as a core component of Russia’s authoritarian playbook, with severe consequences for human rights and civil society space both in Russia and beyond. As Russia … Continued
By tim
At the Geneva Academy of International Humanitarian Law and Human Rights, we offer a variety of academic and practice-oriented learning opportunities for students of our full-time LLM-MAS programmes. Recognising the importance of hands-on professional experience for a career in international law and humanitarian work, we have developed an extensive internship programme that serves as a … Continued
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We are pleased to announce the publication of a new Research Brief authored by Dr. Christophe Golay, which examines the role of social movements and civil society organizations in the promotion and monitoring of the United Nations Declaration on the Rights of Peasants and Other People Working in Rural Areas (UNDROP). This Research Brief is available in English, French and Spanish. It … Continued
By tim
The right to food was recognized in the 1966 International Covenant on Economic, Social and Cultural Rights (ICESCR), which Switzerland ratified in 1992. However, this right is not recognized in the Swiss Federal Constitution. Measures taken in Switzerland to tackle food insecurity—an issue that has worsened since the Covid-19 crisis, with for example 12’,000 people … Continued
By tim
The Geneva Academy of International Humanitarian Law and Human Rights recently hosted an online symposium addressing one of the most pressing challenges at the intersection of emerging tech and human rights: the governance of neurotechnologies. Held on December 8, 2025, this panel discussion brought together international experts to explore how States, civil society, healthcare professionals … Continued
By tim
Understanding the legal and humanitarian dimensions of today’s armed conflicts is increasingly challenging. Information is often fragmented, civilian harm remains insufficiently documented, and the rules of international humanitarian law (IHL) are frequently misunderstood. Today, the Geneva Academy of International Humanitarian Law and Human Rights launches War WATCH, a new portal that brings together up-to-date analysis … Continued