Experts

Marco Sassòli has published widely on international humanitarian law (IHL), human rights law, international criminal law, the sources of international law, the responsibility of states and non-state actors and Swiss constitutional law. He is recognized as a leading expert in IHL.

Paola Gaeta is a leading expert on international criminal law and international criminal courts and tribunals, and has published widely on these issues.

Noam Lubell has taught, researched and published on a variety of topics related to international human rights law and the law of armed conflict, and is recognized as a leading expert in these fields.

Gloria Gaggioli's work focuses notably on the interplay between international humanitarian law and international human rights law, the right to life and the use of force, including the conduct of hostilities, law enforcement and self-defence.

Robert Kolb is a leading expert in international law and international humanitarian law and has published several books and articles on these topics.

Andrea Bianchi's work focuses on topics that range from international law theory, international human rights law, security and counter-terrorism, the law of jurisdiction and jurisdictional immunities to state responsibility and the law of treaties.

Vincent Chetail's areas of research relate to refugee and migrant law, humanitarian law and human rights, international criminal law, collective security and peacekeeping.

Neus Torbisco-Casals' primary research areas are human rights, minority rights and theories of justice, anti-discrimination law and policy, gender equality and cultural diversity.

Frank Haldemann's expertise and research focus on transitional justice, human rights and legal philosophy.

Thomas Unger has more than 15 year of expertise in the field of transitional justice, notably as the former Senior Adviser to the UN Special Rapporteur on the promotion of truth, justice, reparation and guarantees of non-recurrence.

Nils Melzer is Swiss Human Rights Chair at the Geneva Academy and UN Special Rapporteur on torture and other cruel, inhuman and degrading treatment and punishment.

Giovanni Distefano's areas of research and expertise include public international law, the law of treaties, state responsibility and use of force.

Recognized as a leading expert on international human rights law, international criminal law, genocide and capital punishment, William A. Schabas is the author of more than 20 books and 350 journal articles on these issues.

Marko Milanovic's expertise relates to international law, especially issues of state responsibility and treaty interpretation; international human rights law, particularly the question of extraterritorial application of human rights treaties; international criminal law and international humanitarian law.

Christof Heyns is recognized internationally as a leading expert in the field of international human rights law, including right to life issues and regional human rights mechanisms, and has published widely on these matters.

Gabriella Citroni's research focuses on subjects related to international human rights law and she cooperates with a number of NGOs, providing legal assistance to victims of serious human rights violations and their relatives.

Professor Yuval Shany is the Hersch Lauterpacht Chair in International Law at the Law Faculty of the Hebrew University of Jerusalem. He is also a member of the UN Human Rights Committee since 2013.

Clara Sandoval is a leading expert in transitional justice, the Inter-American System of Human Rights, legal theory, business and human rights, reparations, guarantees of non-repetition and implementation of human rights orders and recommendations.

Professor Brandon Hamber is the John Hume and Thomas P. O’Neill Chair in Peace at Ulster University based at the International Conflict Research Institute (INCORE).

Trained in both international law and international relations, Dr Sarah Nouwen works on the intersections of law and politics, war and peace and justice and the rule of law.

Olivier de Frouville is also a member of the United Nations Human Rights Committee and of the Institut Universitaire de France.

Tarcisio Gazzini is Professor of international law at the University of East Anglia. His research focuses on the use of force in international law, foreign investment law, human rights law, international organizations and economic sanctions.

Antonio Coco is a Departmental Lecturer in Public International Law at the University of Oxford.

Jean-Marie Henckaerts is Head of the International Committee of the Red Cross project to update the Commentaries on the Geneva Conventions of 1949 and their Additional Protocols of 1977.

His research lies at the intersection of international law, transitional justice, and peace and security studies.

Dr Guido Acquaviva is a leading expert in public international law and international criminal law and  has published extensively on these issues.

Guénaël Mettraux is a Judge at the newly-established Kosovo Specialist Chambers and a Panel Member of the European Union’s Human Rights Review Panel.

Jérôme de Hemptinne's research focuses on modes of liability for international crimes, the qualification of armed conflicts and institutional aspects of international criminal courts and tribunals.

Rama Mani is an expert in international peace and security, a poet and performance artist.

Dr Ahmed Al-Dawoody is the Legal Adviser for Islamic Law and Jurisprudence at the International Committee of the Red Cross (ICRC).

Dr Sandra Krähenmann conducts legal research on the impact of counter-terrorism on human rights law and international humanitarian law, during the last two years with a particular focus on measures to stem the so-called foreign fighter phenomenon

Francesca Piana is a historian of European and international history. Her research and teaching encompass internationalism, humanitarian aid and the mission, migration, and women/gender in 20th century Europe through a transnational, comparative, and interdisciplinary perspective.

Regula Ludi is an expert on subjects including gender studies, the history of crime in the nineteenth century, Swiss refugee policy in the Nazi era, Roma and Sinti, Holocaust legacies and the gendered nature of representations of the past.

Alex Conte is a senior law and policy adviser at the International Commission of Jurists (ICJ), an NGO dedicated to the promotion and protection of human rights through the rule of law.

Eric Steinmyller is a consultant and trainer on international humanitarian law and maritime law enforcement issues in military and civil academies.

As Director of Legal Programs at the East-West Management Institute (EWMI), Nicolas Mansfielfd is responsible for designing and managing rule of law programmes in developing countries.

Dr Julia Raue works at the United Nations Office of the High Commissioner for Human Rights is a Guest Lecturer at the Europa-Institut at Saarland University.

Fionnuala Ní Aoláin is recognized as a leading expert in the fields of international law, human rights law, national security law, transitional justice and feminist legal theory.

As a leading expert in international criminal justice, transitional justice and child rights, Cécile Aptel has over 20 years’ experience in legal, policy and humanitarian matters.

Evelyne Schmid's research interests include positive obligations in international law, economic and social rights, in particular during armed conflicts and their aftermath, and international law and domestic law-making, particularly in multi-level systems.

Dr Pádraig McAuliffe's research interests include transitional justice, the rule of law and the legibility of neopatrimonial practices in transitional justice and international human rights institutions.

Christoph J. M. Safferling is Professor at Friedrich-Alexander University Erlangen-Nuremberg, where he holds the chair for criminal law, criminal procedure, and international law.

Mô Bleeker has worked for more than 35 years in societies engaged in a process of transition from war to peace in Central America, Colombia, the Balkans, South and South East Asia, Central Asia, Central, North and West Africa.

Norbert Wühler is a leading expert on large-scale compensation and property restitution programmes and Chair of the World Intellectual Property Organization’s Appeal Board.

Pierre Hazan a leading expert in transitional justice, international justice, humanitarian action and the role of media in conflict, post-conflict and crisis zones.

Elisabeth Baumgartner is a lawyer specialized in international criminal law and transitional justice. Since 2011, she is the co-head of the Dealing with the Past programme at swisspeace.

Annyssa Bellal's areas of expertise include public international law, international humanitarian law, international human rights law and armed non-state actors.

Adriana Bessa's research areas include the rights of traditional local communities, the draft declaration on the rights of peasants and the right to food.

Joanna Bourke Martignoni's research areas include the right to food, land commercialization, climate change, the right to education and gender equality.

Christophe Golay's expertise relates to economic, social and cultural rights, the right to food and the rights of peasants.

Dr Jonathan Andrew works as Research Fellow in the Geneva Human Rights Platform where he conducts research on the intersection of information technology with human rights law.

Helene Ramos dos Santos is the Senior Fellow–UN Liaison Officer in Geneva for the International Bar Association Human Rights Institute (IBAHRI).

Chiara Redaelli's areas of expertise include international humanitarian law, jus ad bellum, and international human rights law.

Alice Priddy's current main research areas concern the rights of persons with disabilities during and in the immediate aftermath of armed conflict.

Kamelia Kemileva is Special Projects Manager and Co-Coordinator of the Geneva Academy Human Rights Platform.

Claire Simmons conducts research on investigations in situations of armed conflict under the directorship of Professor Noam Lubell, Swiss Chair of International Humanitarian Law at the Geneva Academy.

Her areas of expertise include legal anthropology, international human rights, the history of human rights, migration and the UN treaty body system.

Dr Claire Callejon has been part of the Academic Platform on Treaty Body Review 2020 since 2017. Her areas of expertise include international human rights law, the United Nations Human Rights machinery and refugee law.

Clément Nyaletsossi Voule is Associate Researcher at the Geneva Academy and UN Special Rapporteur on the Rights to Freedom of Peaceful Assembly and of Association. He is also Senior Advisor at the International Service for Human Rights (ISHR).

Eric Tistounet is a Visiting Research Fellow at the Geneva Academy and Chief of the Human Rights Council Branch of the Office of the United Nations High Commissioner for Human Rights.

His research explores the jurisprudential and operational parameters of the right to truth in Africa as seen through an international human rights law lens.

George Dvaladze's research focuses on international humanitarian law and international human rights law, in particular the principle of equality and non-discrimination in armed conflict.

Lukas Hafner's research focuses on military planning and preparations under international humanitarian law.

Tadesse Kebebew's research focuses on issues related to the applicability and application of international humanitarian law to international organizations engaged in peacekeeping operations.

Pavle Kilibarda's research focuses on general issues of public international law, particularly statehood recognition and the rights and obligations of states.

Firouzeh Mitchell is a Teaching Assistant at the Geneva Academy. Her research focuses on transitional justice, counter-terrorism, and non-state actors.

Joshua Niyo's research focuses on the norms, principles and contemporary challenges regarding territorial control by armed-non state actors in non-international armed conflicts.

Elvina Pothelet is a Teaching Assistant at the Geneva Academy. Her doctoral research focuses on the scope of application of IHL and war crime law through the notion of ‘nexus with the armed conflict’.

Alessandra Spadaro's research  focuses on detention by armed groups in armed conflict and her interests encompass international humanitarian, human rights, and criminal law.