16 December 2019
In this interview, Melina Fidelis-Tzourou, who is enrolled in our LLM in International Humanitarian Law and Human Rights (LLM), tells us about the programme and life in Geneva.
I’m Melina and I come from Greece. I have a Law Degree and before coming to Geneva I was working as a legal trainee at a military law firm. My favourite thing in the world is coffee.
I have always wanted to study international humanitarian law (IHL) and my professors told me that the LLM at the Geneva Academy is unparalleled in this field, especially because I was interested in a career in the humanitarian field.
I think the strength of the programme lies in its multidisciplinary approach to international law in armed conflict via an in-depth study of public international law, IHL, international criminal law, international human rights law and international refugee law in our core courses. This particular structure has definitely given me a more comprehensive and far-reaching understanding of IHL, which I believe is extremely useful for my professional development.
After completing this programme I would like to work in the field of IHL, either with an NGO or with some other institution. Human rights litigation is also an interesting option. The good thing with the LLM at the Geneva Academy is that it opens the door to various professional opportunities, so I intend to explore my options and hope for the best!
This is the first spot I reach on the lake when walking from my house. All of a sudden this beautiful lakeside scenery appears, while just seconds before you were surrounded by cement and concrete. From specific angles, you even forget you are in a city at all. I like this momentary escapism.
ILC
Two years have passed since the adoption of the UN Declaration on the Rights of Peasants and Other People Working in Rural Areas. On this occasion, we are launching, together with the International Land Coalition, an easy-to-use manual that looks into how this historical declaration can be used to protect the right to land.
Katja Schöberl is the IHL Legal Adviser for the German Red Cross in Berlin. In this interview, she tells about the programme and what it brought to her career.
This online event will discuss experiences and outcomes of actions taken to promote the ratification of the International Convention for the Protection of all Persons from Enforced Disappearances.
MSF
This online short course examines the existing international legal framework and jurisprudence on the phenomenon of enforced disappearance. While the main focus is international human rights law, references are made, where pertinent, to international humanitarian law and international criminal law.
ICRC
This short course, which can be followed in Geneva or online, discusses the extent to which states may limit and/or derogate from their international human rights obligations in order to prevent and counter-terrorism and thus protect persons under their jurisdiction.
MSF
This research aims at building a common understanding and vision as to how states and the relevant parts of the UN system can provide a concrete and practical framework to address human rights responsibilities of armed non-state actors.
UN Photo / Jean-Marc Ferré
A series of events aimed at discussing contemporary issues and challenges related to the promotion and protection of human rights in Geneva and beyond.
Geneva Academy