The course is structured around six 2-hour sessions, plus a 1-hour introduction, during which the definitions of international armed conflict and non-international armed conflict will be examined, in accordance with the classification used in International Humanitarian Law. Within this framework, the concepts of internationalized armed conflict, occupation, and transnational armed conflict will also be discussed.
Each session will consist of a discussion of a case study based on past and contemporary armed conflicts that best illustrate the related challenges (Ukraine, Gaza, Afghanistan, the Democratic Republic of the Congo, Syria, etc.). Participants will be invited to consider the potential impacts of the legal characterizations applied to situations of armed violence, both on those involved (States, armed groups, humanitarian organizations, etc.) and on those who suffer the consequences (civilians, people deprived of their liberty, etc.).
Preliminary reading is compulsory before the start of each session and relates to the topic covered during that session. The course will not consist of lectures delivered by the professor, but will instead take the form of discussions based on practical case studies, all of which will rely on the preliminary readings. It is therefore essential that participants come prepared. The readings will be provided by the professor in due course.
A downloadable flyer is available here.
By the end of the sessions, students will be able to:
- Classify any situation of violence;
- Determine the applicable law arising from that classification;
- Explain the consequences of that classification for those affected by armed conflicts;
- Discuss the advisability of revising the current typology of International Humanitarian Law; and
- Discuss the main issues relating to the classification and de-classification of armed conflicts.
Julia Grignon is a Fellow Professor at Paris-Panthéon-Assas, where she is the head of International Law Clinic. She is the former Scientific Director of IRSEM (Institute for Strategic Research, 2022-2025) and Professor at the Faculty of Law at Laval University (2012-2025).
Specialized in International Humanitarian Law she has published numerous journal articles and book chapters as well as shorter formats. She is the author of the book L’applicabilité temporelle du droit international humanitaire [The temporal scope of applicability of International Humanitarian Law] and edited a special issue of the Revue québécoise de droit international on The law applicable to the conflict between Russia and Ukraine. She is also a coauthor of the Online Casebook and edited the book Tribute to Jean Pictet.
At Laval University, Julia Grignon held an individual research project about The extraterritorial application of International Human Rights Law in context of external military operations and a partnership development Osons le DIH! Promotion and strengthening of IHL: a Canadian contribution, both founded by the Canadian Social Sciences and Humanities Research Council. She was also a co-researcher within the Canadian partnership for International Justice and a co-founder of the Interdisciplinary Centre for Research on Africa and the Middle East.
Julia Grignon currently chairs the sub-committee on International Humanitarian Law and Humanitarian Action within the CNCDH (French National Consultative Committee on Human Rights).
- Monday 31 August, 12:00 to 13:00 – Introduction
- Tuesday 1 September, 12:00 to 14:00
- Wednesday 2 September, 12:00 to 14:00
- Thursday 3 September, 12:00 to 14:00
- Friday 4 September, 12:00 to 14:00
- Monday 7 September, 12:00 to 14:00
- Tuesday 8 September, 12:00 to 14:00
- Wednesday 9 September, 12:00 to 14:00
Please send an email to digital.academy@geneva-academy.ch with a CV and a motivation letter letter expressing your interest in the specific course.
Selected applicants will receive a confirmation of acceptance. To secure their place, accepted participants are required to pay a non-refundable deposit of CHF 100.
Please note that this course is subject to a minimum of 10 participants. If this minimum is not reached two weeks prior to the start date, this course will not be delivered and all registered participants will receive a full refund of the deposit. Places are limited to 25 participants, and therefore early application is strongly encouraged.
CHF 950.
A discount of CHF 100 is available for students and alumni of the Academy, UNIGE, IHEID, and individuals who have previously participated in our trainings or educational activities.