Geneva Academy of International Humanitarian Law and Human Rights

Acronym: Geneva Academy

Established: 2007

Address: Rue de Lausanne 120B, 1202 Geneva, Switzerland

Website: https://www.geneva-academy.ch/

Stakeholder group: Academia and Think Tanks

The Geneva Academy is a joint centre of the University of Geneva and the Geneva Graduate Institute. It provides continuing education, carries out research and policy studies, and organises training courses and expert meetings. It concentrates on branches of international law that relate to armed conflict, protracted violence, and the protection of human rights. The Geneva Academy is also home of the Geneva Human Rights Platform (GHRP) – a neutral and dynamic forum of interaction in Geneva for all stakeholders in the field of human rights – experts, practitioners, diplomats and civil society – to debate topical issues and challenges related to the functioning of the global human rights system.

Contents

Digital activities

Are new means and methods of warfare compatible with existing international humanitarian law (IHL) rules? What challenges do big data and artificial intelligence (AI) pose to human rights? How can we ensure the right to privacy and protection of the private sphere in times of war and peace?

New technologies, digitalisation, and big data are reshaping our societies and the way they are organised. While technological advancements present tremendous opportunities and promises, the rapid developments in AI, automation, and robotics raise a series of questions about their impact in times of peace and war. The Geneva Academy’s research in this domain explores whether these new developments are compatible with existing rules and whether IHL and human rights law continue to provide the level of protection they are meant to ensure.

Its three Advanced Master’s programmes and training courses also train tomorrow’s leaders and decision makers in the IHL and human rights legal frameworks relevant to digital activities, including the law of weaponry and new military technologies.

Its Geneva Human Rights Platform (GHRP) facilitates exchanges and discussions among various stakeholders – experts, practitioners, diplomats, and civil society – around digitalisation and human rights to provide policy advice on how to harness potential and mitigate danger in this rapidly changing field.

The Geneva Academy’s public events and expert meetings provide a critical and scholarly forum for experts, practitioners, and policymakers to discuss and debate the impact of digitalisation on human rights and contemporary armed conflicts.

Digital policy issues

New military technologies

New military technologies are transforming the nature of modern warfare, raising a legitimate concern that existing laws and regulations will be outpaced by technological advancement, widening the scope for rights abuses and impunity. Our work in this area aims to assess the impact – and related protection needs – of new military technologies that shape the future digital battlefield in relation to cyberwarfare, cybersecurity, and emerging military applications of AI.

Neurotechnology

The Geneva Academy’s research addresses the human rights implications stemming from neurotechnology development for commercial, non-therapeutic ends. These implications include direct externalities (violation of the rights to privacy, property, freedom from discrimination, etc.) and indirect externalities (spillovers for social cohesion, equality, and intergroup tolerance). Neurotechnology can also be seen as a tool to bolster human rights, including in the areas of education, health, and equality. A further dimension of this work involves corporate regulation and policy development, especially around human rights due diligence.

Artificial intelligence

Advancements in digital technologies have created both opportunities and risks for the promotion, expansion, and application of human rights. An issue of particular concern is how AI, coupled with internet reliance, has created scope for individuals, non-state groups, and states to use web-based platforms to push malign content for political or violence ends. As these challenges begin to be discussed at the multilateral level, the Geneva Academy’s research aims to empower key stakeholders with a common understanding of the principal risks with a view to strengthening the international human rights framework and crafting effective regulation.

AI also plays a vital role in advancing human rights by improving access to justice, healthcare, and education. Implementing ethical AI practices can help prevent discrimination, ensure transparency, and safeguard privacy. Additionally, AI can be used to monitor human rights abuses and promote accountability. Via the GHRP, we are exploring the various ways in which AI can support the implementation of human rights, developing various working papers, workshops and events on this matter.

Digital tools

Data governance

The Rule of Law in Armed Conflicts (RULAC) is a unique online portal that identifies and classifies all situations of armed conflict under IHL. RULAC currently monitors more than 100 conflicts involving at least 55 states and more than 70 armed non-state actors. It includes new developments and fundamental changes that may affect their classification.

In and Around War(s) podcast

The Geneva Academy’s In and Around War(s) podcast focuses on contemporary legal issues related to wars. Each episode discusses related topical issues, including data protection in war and warfare in cyberspace.

Directory of digital human rights tracking tools and databases

The Academy’s GHRP has a dedicated space on their website for digital tracking tools and databases, which focuses on human rights. This initiative provides a directory that consists of a comprehensive list and description of such key tools and databases. Furthermore, in 2024 the project published a briefing which explores the current trends in digital tracking tools.

Online learning

The Geneva Academy’s online part-time Executive Master – Master of Advanced Studies in International Law in Armed Conflict, along with its online short courses and GHRP training courses, enables practitioners to enhance their legal expertise regardless of their location.

In particular linked to ITU’s AI Skills Coalition, the GHRP develops a practical training course for human rights practitioners on the effective and ethical use of AI and digital tracking tools. In-depth knowledge on the functioning of the UN human rights mechanism is paired with technical knowledge on AI solutions to enhance implementation and monitoring of human rights obligations.

Facilitating exchanges and discussions

The Geneva Human Rights Platform (GHRP), hosted by the Geneva Academy, provides a neutral and dynamic forum of interaction for all stakeholders in the field of human rights to debate topical issues and challenges related to the functioning of the Geneva-based human rights system.

In this context, the GHRP supports the ‘digital uplift’ of the UN’s human rights system, piloting digital solutions to facilitate the work of the UN Human Rights Treaty Bodies.