21 November 2024
This year marks the 75th anniversary of the Geneva Conventions. Do they address the realities of modern warfare? Are they to blame when violations occur? And do they really justify killing? In the latest episode of our podcast series ‘In and Around War(s)’, we delve into these frequently formulated questions by putting the Geneva Conventions on trial.
‘One of the worst things I saw written in a national newspaper was by a former general, who claimed the Geneva Conventions entitle you to kill people,’ says Andrew Clapham. ‘The Geneva Conventions provide protection—protection for prisoners of war, protection for civilians in occupied territory, and so on. Nowhere do they state you are entitled to kill combatants. That is a misperception that people overlay onto them to justify their behaviour.’
This episode was co-produced with Janet H. Anderson and Stephanie van den Berg from the Asymmetrical Haircuts podcast, who lead the discussion by presenting three charges against the Geneva Conventions. Acting as defenders are Andrew Clapham, Professor of International Law at the Graduate Institute, and Gloria Gaggioli, Associate Professor and Vice-Dean of the Law Faculty at the University of Geneva. The verdict is ultimately delivered by Francesco Romani, Research Fellow at the Geneva Academy.
All previous episodes, along with those from the current season can be found on the podcast page of the Geneva Academy website, as well as Soundcloud, Apple Podcasts, YouTube and Spotify.
Adobe
A new working paper, 'AI Decoded: Key Concepts and Applications of Artificial Intelligence for Human Rights and SDG Monitoring', has been published by the Geneva Human Rights Platform.
Applications for the upcoming academic year of our Online Executive Master – MAS in International Law in Armed Conflict - are now open. They will remain open until 30 May 2025, with courses starting at the end of September 2025.
ICRC
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.
UN Photo / Jean-Marc Ferré
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.
This training course will delve into the means and mechanisms through which national actors can best coordinate their human rights monitoring and implementation efforts, enabling them to strategically navigate the UN human rights system and use the various mechanisms available in their day-to-day work.
CCPR Centre
The Geneva Human Rights Platform collaborates with a series of actors to reflect on the implementation of international human rights norms at the local level and propose solutions to improve uptake of recommendations and decisions taken by Geneva-based human rights bodies at the local level.
Shutterstock
This project will explore humanitarian consequences and protection needs caused by the digitalization of armed conflicts and the extent to which these needs are addressed by international law, especially international humanitarian law.
Geneva Academy
Geneva Academy