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Research and policy engagement

Our Projects

Research, Expertise, and Policy Engagement

The Geneva Academy develops and hosts projects that combine academic excellence, evidence-based research, and policy-oriented engagement in the fields of international humanitarian law, international human rights law, and international law applicable in armed conflicts and transitional situations, including issues related to international responsibility for serious violations.

Supported through institutional funding, grants, and partnerships, the Academy’s projects contribute to advancing legal knowledge, informing policy debates, strengthening implementation, and supporting accountability processes in practice.

Projects are developed within or across the Academy’s thematic platforms and address contemporary legal and policy challenges through rigorous analysis, expert engagement, and collaboration with international organisations, states, academic institutions, research centres, and civil society partners.

The Academy’s projects combine research activities with practical and accessible outputs aimed at supporting policymakers, practitioners, researchers, and broader audiences.

Depending on their objectives and scope, projects may involve:

Workshops, conferences, seminars, and expert dialogues.

  • Evidence-based legal and policy research;
  • Expert consultations and collaborative initiatives;
  • Policy papers, reports, and legal analysis;
  • Databases, monitoring initiatives, and digital tools;
  • Knowledge dissemination, advocacy, and public engagement activities;
  • Workshops, conferences, seminars, and expert dialogues.

Current Projects

Recently Completed Projects

Authoritarianism and Human Rights

January 2025 – December 2025
Examining how authoritarian strategies reshape civic space, target minority groups, and weaken global human rights responses.

Conflict, Security and the Human Right to a Clean, Healthy and Sustainable Environment

March 2023 – December 2024
Exploring the linkages between environmental rights, conflict risk and human rights protection to strengthen early warning, resilience and legal responses.

Digitalization of armed conflicts

January 2020 – October 2025
Assessing how digitalization, cyber operations, and emerging military technologies are reshaping the conduct of hostilities and the protection of civilians.

The Human Rights System and Prevention

January 2025 – December 2025
Exploring how more effective human rights analysis, information flows, and early warning tools can contribute to conflict prevention and the protection of populations at risk.

IHL Expert Pool

January 2022 – December 2024
Strengthening the capacity of human rights bodies to interpret and apply International Humanitarian Law effectively.

Neurotechnology and Human Rights

August 2023 – December 2025
This project analyses the legal and ethical implications of brain–computer interfaces and neurodata, promoting human-rights-based approaches to innovation and the development of international regulatory frameworks that safeguard human dignity.

These projects produce a range of outputs, including working papers, policy briefs, guidelines, and expert consultations, with dissemination taking place through podcasts, blogposts, and interviews, as well as conferences, seminars, and expert meetings. Through these channels, the Geneva Academy ensures that its research contributes both to academic debate and to a broader understanding of international law among practitioners and institutions.