ICRC and LL.M. Organize International Humanitarian Law Summer School at AUA

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YEREVAN, Armenia – From August 30 to September 3, the International Committee of the Red Cross (ICRC) Delegation in Armenia, in cooperation with the Master of Laws (LL.M.) Program of the American University of Armenia (AUA), organized a regional summer school in International Humanitarian Law (IHL).

 This year, the IHL Summer School featured Vaios Koutroulis, professor of Public International Law at the Centre de Droit International, Université libre de Bruxelles and member of the International Humanitarian Fact-Finding Commission, ICRC representatives Drs. Andrey Kozik and Michael Riepl, as well as other seasoned national and international experts. The mission of this year’s summer school was to develop a general understanding of the essence and limits of IHL, as well as the specificities of the ICRC work in different contexts. The course introduced participants to the most important tenets of international law. These include the nature and function of IHL, its sources, and general principles.

 Around 45 students and legal practitioners from ten countries, including Armenia, Ukraine, Kazakhstan, Belarus and Kyrgyzstan, attended the Summer School. According to the feedback received from participants and presenters, the endeavor was highly valuable and a great success.

 This year, the course was dedicated to the 30th anniversary of the ICRC presence in Armenia. Through engaging presentations and lively discussions, participants learned more about IHL, its current challenges, and specificities of the ICRC mandate and work. Issues of the missing and the dead, protection of civilians and civilian objects in armed conflicts, limits on means and methods of warfare, interplay between IHL and international human rights law, implementation of IHL, and other themes were discussed.

 At the end, participants were able to assess their knowledge through a quiz developed around the topics covered during the course. All participants in the summer school received certificates.

 Founded in 1991, the American University of Armenia (AUA) is a private, independent university located in Yerevan, Armenia, affiliated with the University of California, and accredited by the WASC Senior College and University Commission in the United States. AUA provides local and international students with Western-style education through top-quality undergraduate, graduate, and certificate programs, promotes research and innovation, encourages civic engagement and community service, and fosters democratic values.