Information

15 January - 19 February 2025
Application start 5 August 2024
Application end 8 December 2024
Fee: 1250 Swiss Francs

Downloads

Flyer >

Sanctions in Public International Law

A wide view of the UN Security Council A wide view of the UN Security Council

Descriptive

What role do sanctions play in international law? What are the conditions for implementing sanctions against a state? Who decides? Are sanctions a useful tool for avoiding or stopping armed conflicts?

This short course provides an introduction to the regime of sanctions under international law and their effectiveness in addressing contemporary forms of conflict. It addresses the questions related to international state responsibility, the outlawing of forcible self-help, the peaceful settlement of international disputes and the role of the International Court of Justice.

Online

This is an online short course.

Schedule

Classes will take place online during lunchtime on:

  • Wednesday, 15 January 2025, 12:00–14:00 (CET)
  • Wednesday, 22 January 2025, 12:00–14:00 (CET)
  • Wednesday, 29 January 2025, 12:00–14:00 (CET)
  • Wednesday, 5 February 2025, 12:00–14:00 (CET)
  • Wednesday, 12 February 2025, 12:00–14:00 (CET)
  • Wednesday, 19 February 2025, 12:00–14:00 (CET)

Audience

This short course forms part of the Geneva Academy Executive Master in International Law in Armed Conflict. It is open to professionals – diplomats, lawyers, legal advisers, judges, NGO staff, human rights advocates, media specialists, professionals working in emergency situations, UN staff and staff from other international organizations – who are not enrolled in the Executive Master and who want to deepen their expertise in this specific issue.

Fee

The fee for this short course is 1,250 Swiss Francs. In case of cancellation by the participants, CHF 200 won't be returned.

Certificate

Participants obtain a certificate at the end of the course (no ECTS credits are gained).

How to Apply

Applications must be submitted via this online form.

Your application will need to include:

  • A short motivation letter (no more than one page)
  • Your curriculum vitae
  • Proof of your competence in English (a certificate or statement highlighting your solid background in English)
  • Once admitted to the course, participants receive instructions on how to pay. Proof of payment is required before you begin the course.

Professor and Lecturer

Picture of Giovanni Distefano

Giovanni Distefano

Professor of International Law at the University of Neuchatel

Giovanni Distefano's areas of research and expertise include public international law, the law of treaties, state responsibility and use of force.

Location

Online course

Access

The course will be conducted online using the ZOOM platform.

MORE ON THIS THEMATIC AREA

 Libya, Misrata, Tripoli Street. After a battle between members of the armed opposition and government forces. News

THE WAR REPORT: ARMED CONFLICTS IN 2016

10 April 2017

In 2016, 49 situations of armed violence amounted to armed conflicts according to international humanitarian law and international criminal law. The vast majority are non-international armed conflicts, as in preceding years, highlighting the changing nature of warfare. The analysis highlights two trends: the heavy toll of current armed conflicts on civilians often trapped in sieges and battlefields in cities and increased international interventions in conflicts.

Read more

Map of the RULAC online portal with the pop-up window of the non-international armed conflict in Thailand News

Southern Thailand: A Non-International Armed Conflict between the Thai Military and Armed Groups Seeking Independence

29 November 2018

Our Rule of Law in Armed Conflicts (RULAC) online portal provides a detailed analysis and legal classification of the non-international armed conflict in Southern Thailand between, on the one hand, the Government of Thailand and, on the other, the Barisan Revolusi Nasional Coordinate and associated groups.

Read more

Warzone Event

Advanced IHL Seminar for Academics and Policymakers

25-29 August 2025, 09:00-17:30

Co-hosted with the ICRC, this event aims to enhance the capacity of academics to teach and research international humanitarian law, while also equipping policymakers with an in-depth understanding of ongoing legal debates.

Read more

A general view of participants during of the 33nd ordinary session of the Human Rights Council. Training

The Universal Periodic Review and the UN Human Rights System: Raising the Bar on Accountability

10-14 November 2025

This training course will explore the origin and evolution of the Universal Periodic Review (UPR) and its functioning in Geneva and will focus on the nature of implementation of the UPR recommendations at the national level.

Read more

Syria, Aleppo, Sheikh Massoud neighbourhood, near the frontline. Fighters of the Free Syrian Army. Project

‘Foreign Fighters’ and Counter-Terrorism

Completed in January 2014

Against the background of the mobilization of ‘foreign fighters’ for the conflicts in Syria and Iraq, the Geneva Academy undertook various research projects to highlight and clarify a range of international law issues that arise through their participation and measures taken to stem their mobilization.

Read more

A session of the UN Human Rights Council Project

IHL Expert Pool

Started in January 2022

The IHL-EP works to strengthen the capacity of human rights mechanisms to incorporate IHL into their work in an efficacious and comprehensive manner. By so doing, it aims to address the normative and practical challenges that human rights bodies encounter when dealing with cases in which IHL applies.

Read more