23 May 2022
Durkhanay Ijaz is a Legal Advisor at the International Committee of the Red Cross (ICRC) in Pakistan, working primarily on the dissemination, promotion and clarification of international humanitarian law (IHL) and relevant themes amongst policy-makers and academic circles via research clinics, workshops and training courses.
Durkhanay holds an LLB from the University of London and a BA in Law and Political Science from the Jinnah College for Women in Peshawar and is following our Executive Master in International Law in Armed Conflict.
ICRC
Prior to working at the ICRC and more so after joining, I realized that I needed to formalize my understanding of IHL and related areas like public international law, international criminal law and international human rights law. The programme offers me the opportunity to do so without compromising on my career trajectory or taking a break from a job that I find most fulfilling and rewarding.
For me, the highlight of the programme is that it is has been tailored in a way which makes it easy, for participants like me who work in the field, to follow it online.
It’s brilliant! I do feel that it’s an amazing experience to be part of this programme, especially with the calibre of the professors who taught us. In fact, this distance learning programme far exceeded my expectations. I came in thinking that I would not be able to form any connection with the Geneva Academy as I was not there in person. It has been fairly different in a great way: we can speak when we want during classes and the professors see our faces and converse with us, and we don’t miss out on any of the fun classroom jokes either. The Moodle Platform allows us to catch up with the many lectures we have to read and I didn’t face any problems in keeping up with the courses.
I would say, yes. You have to manage your time and it falls on you as an individual on how you do that. That being said, the planning of classes considers our work schedules and is, I believe, as light as a master’s programme can be without compromising the content of your courses.
I can see the benefits of the programme for me in my professional capacity already. Understanding the nuances of the law helps me in delivering our key messages and with a more in-depth understanding of the law.
For working professionals, it is highly recommended.
A new episode of our podcast 'In and Around War(s)' with the theme 'The Geneva Conventions on Trial' has just been released.
Osama Maatermawi, Founder and Director of the Syrian Center for Legal Affairs and Arbitration, tells about his experience taking our Executive Master of Advanced Studies.
Wikimedia
In this Geneva Academy Talk Judge Lətif Hüseynov will discuss the challenges of inter-State cases under the ECHR, especially amid rising conflict-related applications.
ICRC
Co-hosted with the ICRC, this event aims to enhance the capacity of academics to teach and research international humanitarian law, while also equipping policymakers with an in-depth understanding of ongoing legal debates.
UN Photo / Jean-Marc Ferré
This training course will explore the origin and evolution of the Universal Periodic Review (UPR) and its functioning in Geneva and will focus on the nature of implementation of the UPR recommendations at the national level.
UN Photo / Jean-Marc Ferré
This hands-on training is designed specifically for diplomats from Small Island Developing States and Least Developed Countries who are current or prospective members of the United Nations Human Rights Council.
Adobe Stock
This project addresses the human rights implications stemming from the development of neurotechnology for commercial, non-therapeutic ends, and is based on a partnership between the Geneva Academy, the Geneva University Neurocentre and the UN Human Rights Council Advisory Committee.
ICRC
As a yearly publication, it keeps decision-makers, practitioners and scholars up-to-date with the latest trends and challenges in IHL implementation in over 100 armed conflicts worldwide – both international and non-international.
Geneva Academy ICRC