2 February 2021
In this interview, Émilie Charpentier, currently enrolled in our LLM in International Humanitarian Law and Human Rights (LLM) tells us about the programme and life in Geneva.
My name is Émilie and I am from Montreal, the French-speaking region of Canada. Before starting the LLM at the Geneva Academy, I obtained my bachelor’s degree in International Relations and International Law at the University of Quebec in Montreal. During my undergrad, I participated in various international competitions during which I developed a passion for international law, more precisely, international humanitarian law (IHL). I love to travel and have had the opportunity to visit a number of countries over the years, which has allowed me to meet people from several regions and nourish my humanistic side.
I had been considering the LLM at the Geneva Academy since the second year of my undergrad. I was already interested in IHL and human rights because I want to use the law to make a positive change. My undergrad programme was more general, and it was important for me to specialize as an international jurist. All aspects of the programme were appealing: the opportunity to take exclusively international law courses, the high quality of the education, and its location in Geneva, which is a hub for IHL.
I am truly enjoying my experience at the Geneva Academy. The programme is very well designed and coordinated. The high quality of the teaching has met my expectations, and we study in-depth legal issues within different international law branches. I also appreciate that the students come from across the globe, with different experiences and backgrounds, which fosters interesting discussions and allows us to exchange perspectives.
I would recommend this programme to anyone who wants to specialize in this field. Not only will it give you a strong knowledge, but you will also have the opportunity to choose optional courses to study specific subjects within your own areas of interest.
My goal is to work in the field for an international organization, ideally as a legal advisor. I would like to help implement IHL and work to promote respect for human rights. I am also interested in taking part in humanitarian missions in zones of armed conflict to gain a better understanding of the reality on the ground. I am open to any opportunity that may arise, and I have no doubt that my training at the Geneva Academy will help me reach my goals.
I chose to be photographed in front of the ICRC Headquarters because this was the organization that sparked my interest in IHL. When I learned about the work of the ICRC, both its research and its fieldwork, I was inspired to practice in this branch of international law.
Adobe
The Geneva Academy convened an expert consultation on the CESCR’s General Comment on the Application of the International Covenant on Economic, Social and Cultural Rights in Situations of Armed Conflict.
Geneva Academy
The Geneva Human Rights Platform is launching its 2025 training programme, designed to empower stakeholders engaging with UN human rights system.
UN Photo / Jean-Marc Ferré
This training course will explore the origin and evolution of the Universal Periodic Review (UPR) and its functioning in Geneva and will focus on the nature of implementation of the UPR recommendations at the national level.
Participants in this training course will be introduced to the major international and regional instruments for the promotion of human rights, as well as international environmental law and its implementation and enforcement mechanisms.
CCPR Centre
The Geneva Human Rights Platform collaborates with a series of actors to reflect on the implementation of international human rights norms at the local level and propose solutions to improve uptake of recommendations and decisions taken by Geneva-based human rights bodies at the local level.
Adobe
To unpack the challenges raised by artificial intelligence, this project will target two emerging and under-researched areas: digital military technologies and neurotechnology.
Geneva Academy
Geneva Academy