PhD Forum in International Law

Event

Geneva Academy

The Geneva Academy PhD Forum provides a space of exchanges and discussions for PhD researchers and experts – in Geneva and beyond – who work in international humanitarian law, international human rights law, international criminal law, transitional justice, international refugee law and selected public international law topics.

At each event, PhD students – who can be based in Geneva but also elsewhere – can present and discuss their work in progress with the main discussant – who can be a PhD peer or a well-established expert with rich experience and knowledge on the topic. Following the discussant’s first reaction to the presentation, the floor is open for further comments or questions from the attendees and discussion with the presenter. 

Theme: International Institutions and Actors, Accountability, Governance in a Globalized World

Convenor: Tihao Zeng, co-sponsored by CUSO

Introduction

UN Security Council sanctions, imposing targeted measures on individuals and entities but raising serious concerns over due process and human rights protection, as well as UN-administered peacekeeping missions and territorial administration (such as in Kosovo and East Timor), highlight the complex legal accountability of international organizations. Moreover, multilateral development bank-financed projects significantly affect the human rights of local populations and indigenous communities, while INTERPOL's information processing has raised legal concerns regarding due process and the potential for politically motivated abuses. These entities wield vast power, often with limited mechanisms for checks and balances. At the same time, the rising number of cases against international organizations before domestic and regional courts calls into question their jurisdictional immunity. Public-private partnerships involving private actors and international institutions further blur accountability, as non-state actors assume quasi-governmental roles in global governance. Additionally, multinational corporations play an increasingly significant role in global governance, particularly in areas such as climate change, environmental governance, data privacy, space exploration, public health, and vaccine distribution.

This event will seek to foster discussions on the interaction between international institutions and legal frameworks, including international humanitarian law, human rights law, international criminal law, transitional justice, and refugee law. As international institutions expand their authority, their decisions increasingly intersect with these legal frameworks, raising pressing questions about compliance, legitimacy, and enforcement. The role of international organizations in post-conflict transitional justice, the obligations of international organizations and multinational corporations under human rights law, and the application of international humanitarian law in peacekeeping operations highlight the legal complexities at play. Similarly, the evolving role and responsibilities of international institutions in refugee protection and migration governance, underscore the need for further examination.

Programme

09:05 – 09:15  Introductory Words: “Accountability of non-State Actors”

Tihao Zeng, Teaching Assistant at the Geneva Academy

09:15 – 09:45  Panel 1

Panelist:

Vasiliki Dritsa (University of Geneva), “Authority and Governance in Investor-State Dispute Settlement: The Role of International Institutions and Non-State Actors in Shaping the Future of Investment Arbitration”

Discussant:

Fuad Zarbiyev, Geneva Graduate Institute

09:45 – 10:00  Coffee Break

10:00 – 11:00  Panel 2

Panelists:

Xia Li (University of Basel), “From Passive Compliance to Active Shaping: How Upstream Supply Chain Companies Are Reshaping ESG Standards”

Katia Rosenblat (University of Geneva), “Human rights jurisdiction and obligations of home states in the transnational business context: Effective control over a territory”

Discussants:

Nicolas Bueno, UniDistance Suisse (online)

Brian Frenkel, University of Buenos Aires

11:00 – 12:30  Lunch Break

12:30 – 13:30  Panel 3

Panelists:

Larissa Myriel Fricke (University of Fribourg), “Water as a Weapon, Water as a Right: Towards a Transnational Framework of Water Criminal Law”

Tamara GRIGORAS (University of Fribourg), “Ordering Nature: How International Environmental Law Comes to Be”

Discussant:

Mara Tignino, University of Geneva (online)

13:30 – 14:00  Coffee Break

14:00 – 15:00  Panel 4

Panelists:

Mario Pasquale Amoroso (University of Trento), “Climate Protection in the context of armed conflict: How the ILC and ICRC Shape IHL Norms on the Protection of the Natural Environment”

Feiran Wu (East China University of Political Science and Law), “Capacity, Rights and Restrictions Derived from Sovereignty: the legal basis and boundaries of non-State actors to access, share, and protect data in Humanitarian Contexts”

Discussant:

Stavros Pantazopoulos, National and Kapodistrian University of Athens (online)

Tihao Zeng, University of Geneva

15:00 – 15:15  Coffee Break

15:15 – 15:45  Panel 5

Panelist:

Alessia Nicastro (Geneva Graduate Institute), “Violence against women: an inquiry into the limits of international human rights law”

Discussant:

Nicolas Hafner, Geneva Graduate Institute (online)

15:45 – 17:00  Cocktail Reception at Villa Moynier