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.
Geneva Academy
To kick-start the activities of the 'IHL in Focus' project and refine its approach, a two-day expert meeting of representative practitioners and scholars from different disciplines was convened.
Anastasiya Dziubanava is enrolled in our LLM in International Humanitarian Law and Human Rights. In this interview, she tells about her background, the programme and what it will bring to her career.
Adobe
Participants in this training course, made of two modules, will examine the major international and regional instruments for the promotion of human rights and the environment, familiarizing themselves with the respective implementation and enforcement mechanisms.
Adobe
This training course will examine how the UN Guiding Principles on Business and Human Rights have been utilized to advance the concept of business respect for human rights throughout the UN system, the impact of the Guiding Principles on other international organizations, as well as the impact of standards and guidance developed by these different bodies.
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.
Shutterstock
This project will explore humanitarian consequences and protection needs caused by the digitalization of armed conflicts and the extent to which these needs are addressed by international law, especially international humanitarian law.