LL.M. Program Hosts Nobuo Hayashi for ‘Law and Morals on the Failure of an Able Bystander to Protect Victims against Genocide’

< 1 min read

YEREVAN, Armenia – On July 7, 2015, the American University of Armenia (AUA) Master of Laws (LL.M.) program held a public lecture entitled ‘Law and Morals on the Failure of an Able Bystander to Protect Victims against Genocide’ with speaker Nobuo Hayashi, Senior Legal Adviser at the International Law and Policy Institute of Oslo, Norway.

The lecture addressed several questions, mainly ‘what are the responsibilities of a third party in the event of a genocide?’ and ‘who is a bystander and how can he or she protect genocide victims?’

Mr. Hayashi opened up a vigorous discussion around this topic among the academics and young legal practitioners who attended his lecture. 

An experienced specialist of International Humanitarian Law (IHL), Mr. Hayashi was in Armenia at the invitation of the ICRC Delegation in Armenia. He delivered a series of lectures to 35 attendees of AUA’s weeklong Yerevan Summer School on IHL, co-organized by the ICRC and the American University of Armenia, with support of the local expert center ICLaw. 

Mr. Hayashi stated, “Genocide, as well as other atrocities, divides humanity into victims, those affirmatively involved in their victimization, and bystanders. Here, the expression “bystanders” can encompass both individuals and entities such as states.” 

Learn more about the nuances of international public law, as explained by Mr. Hayashi during his interview with Civilnet.am: https://youtu.be/-XDDuWwT6NA.

Founded in 1991, the American University of Armenia (AUA) is a private, independent university located in Yerevan, Armenia and affiliated with the University of California. AUA provides a global education in Armenia and the region, offering high-quality, graduate and undergraduate studies, encouraging civic engagement, and promoting public service and democratic values.