The 2017 Thessaloniki Summer Course

2017_Koufa_poster_FINALonline2017_Koufa_poster_FINALonline 2017_Koufa_leaflet_FINALonlineINTERNATIONAL HUMANITARIAN LAW: CURRENT DEVELOPMENTS AND CHALLENGES

The Kalliopi Koufa Foundation for the Promotion of International Law and the Protection of Human Rights is pleased to announce the Third Session of the Thessaloniki Summer Courses to take place from June 28 to 7 July 2017 in Thessaloniki, Greece #thirdthessalonikisummercourses. The title of this year’s session is International Humanitarian Law: Current Developments and Challenges”.

Here is the idea:
Forty years after the adoption of the two Additional Protocols to the 1949 Geneva Conventions, the “Geneva system” is facing serious challenges in view of continuous developments in the field of the use of force and shifts in the conduct of conventional (inter-state) war. Such developments include the proliferation of non-state armed groups and other actors participating in armed conflict, new technologies and the use of novel means and methods of warfare (automated and autonomous weapons, drones etc), new domains of warfare such as cyber etc. All these give rise to questions as to how international humanitarian law can address these challenges and how it can achieve its aims and its protective function or whether new rules and instruments are needed.
The 2017 Thessaloniki Summer Course will offer an overview of the fundamental principles and rules of international humanitarian law and will focus on cutting edge issues, contemporary developments and challenges. Some of the questions to be discussed by the eminent faculty of the course include: is international humanitarian law binding on non-state armed groups and, if so, on what basis? How does international law deal with new weapons technology? How does the principle of distinction apply to cyberwarfare? How is international humanitarian law enforced in view of all these challenges? Where we are currently standing on the development and respect of international humanitarian law?

 

You can see the final programme here.

The Faculty of the 2017 Thessaloniki Summer Course includes:

Fausto Pocar, Professor Emeritus of International Law, University of Milan, President of the International Institute of Humanitarian Law (Keynote Lecture)

Marco Sassoli, Professor of International Law and Director of the Department of International Law and International Organization, University of Geneva

Frédéric Mégret, Associate Professor of law and William Dawson Scholar, McGill University

Nicholas Tsagourias, Professor of International Law, University of Sheffield

Jann Kleffner, Professor of International Law and Head of the International Law Centre, Swedish Defence University

William Boothby, Associate Fellow, Geneva Centre for Security Policy, former Deputy Director of Legal Services (Royal Air Force, UK)

Constantine Antonopoulos, Associate Professor of International Law, Democritus University of Thrace

Maria-Daniella Marouda, Assistant Professor of International Law and International Humanitarian Law, Panteion University of Social and Political Studies of Athens

Heike SpiekerDeputy Director of the International Services & National Relief Division German Red Cross

Russell Buchan, Senior Lecturer in International Law, University of Sheffield

For the map of the two venues, click here.

The 2017 Programme will include an introductory as well as several specialized courses on international humanitarian law. In addition, participants will attend special lectures, seminars as well as roundtables offered by academics, experts, policy advisers and practitioners.The 2017 Thessaloniki Summer Course on “International Humanitarian Law: Current Developments and Challenges” is open to graduate and postgraduate students, especially LLM students and PhD candidates, researchers and practitioners from all over the world, with a keen interest in international humanitarian law. In the framework of the course, participants will have the chance to engage in discussions and interact with some of the most renowned scholars in the field.

The entire session will be held in English.

Applications for the 2017 Thessaloniki Summer Course are open since 6 February 2017. For more information on how to apply and the fees, or the accommodation please visit the relevant webpages.

The Foundation may offer a limited number of scholarships upon its discretion to candidates who are nationals of non-EU and non-OECD countries and hold a law degree at the time of application. More information may be found here.

The Foundation awards a Certificate of Attendance to all participants who have regularly attended the courses, lectures and expert workshops. The Foundation will also award a Course Diploma. For more information, please visit here.


Extra-curricular activities

During the course, a series of extra-curricular activities will be organized, including visits to museums and archaeological sites outside Thessaloniki. For excursions (optional participation), a small fee will apply.

More tips for extra-curricular activities can be found in the Thessaloniki link of the website menu.

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