Nearly 340 students for 14th edition of free inter-university programme on international criminal law

Today, nearly 340 students from Lebanon, Palestine, Jordan, Egypt, and Iraq will kick off with the 14th edition of the Inter-University Programme on International Criminal Law and Procedure (IUP), a free online course with expert lectures on international criminal law and procedure. The training programme is organised by T.M.C. Asser Instituut, in collaboration with IUSTICOM, the Human Rights Legal Clinic of the Faculty of Law (La Sagesse University) in Lebanon, with support of AUF. 

Since its inception, the Inter-University Programme has graduated over 2,000 students and has been instrumental in developing a new generation of legal experts in the Middle East and North Africa (MENA) region. The programme covers a wide range of topics, including transitional justice, international humanitarian law, and the prosecution of core international crimes. The course has received widespread acclaim from both students and faculties. This year, the IUP welcomes students from a diverse range of universities across the MENA region, including:

• Sagesse University (ULS) – Lebanon
• Holy Spirit University of Kaslik (USEK) – Lebanon
• Saint Joseph University (USJ) - Lebanon
• Beirut Arab University (BAU) – Lebanon
• University of Mosul – Iraq
• Basra University - Iraq
• Birzeit University – Palestine
• Al-Quds University – Palestine
• An-Najah National University – Palestine
• Al Ahliya University, Bethlehem - Palestine
• Hebron University - Palestine
• Alexandria University – Egypt
• Ain Shams University - Egypt
• Al Mansoura University - Egypt
• Petra University - Jordan
• University of Jordan - Jordan

A legacy of impact
Professor Georges Masse of the American University of Science and Technology in Beirut once praised the programme as “the best attempt towards reconciliation in Lebanon,” while Professor Reina Sfeir, Director of the Human Rights Legal Clinic at La Sagesse University highlights the region’s need for Arabic-speaking experts in international criminal law. “Thanks to the IUP many students are specialising in ICL, some started working in the field of international criminal justice, while others are publishing international criminal law books in Arabic and thus contributing to its promotion in the MENA region. This programme addresses the pressing need to equip students with the knowledge and skills to tackle global legal challenges. In a region marked by instability, focusing on international justice ensures that participants are prepared to engage in meaningful legal discourse and advocacy.''

Dr Chady Saad, Dean of the Faculty of Law at La Sagesse University, adds that "this programme reflects the ULS Law Faculty's commitment to fostering education, dialogue, and collaboration across borders. By promoting justice and accountability, it underscores the university´s dedication to upholding the rule of law and human rights in these challenging times.''

Olga Kavran of IUSTICOM, one of the co-founders of the programme, says: “The growing number of expert voices from the MENA region and their increasing involvement in debates on the topics of international criminal law and international criminal justice will enrich the field and make it far more accessible and equitable, particularly among increasing (and justified) criticisms from the ‘Global South’”.

Christophe Paulussen, acting academic director and chairperson of the executive board at the Asser Institute, has coordinated the programme from the onset on behalf of the Asser Institute. Paulussen: “The IUP is an important initiative which promotes international criminal law education and awareness in Lebanon and the MENA region. It is also playing a role in fostering cross-cultural understanding and dialogue and has led to international criminal law becoming an integral part of the students’ legal vocabulary. We are grateful to all of the students, professors, and partners who have made the IUP possible.” 

Background 
The project was set up in 2011 by the T.M.C. Asser Instituut and the Outreach and Legacy Section of the Special Tribunal for Lebanon (STL). At that time, there was no specialisation in international criminal law offered at any Lebanese university, so the IUP was the first of its kind and unprecedented in the Middle East and North Africa region.

From the start, the lectures were streamed online from the Asser Institute to lecture halls in the participating universities in Lebanon. As this happened in pre-pandemic times, an online course was very innovative. Since then, inspired by the IUP, both the International Criminal Court and the International Residual Mechanism for Criminal Tribunals (the residual mechanism of the ICTY and the ICTR) have implemented similar programmes.

Following the withdrawal of the STL in 2020, the programme continued to be implemented by the Asser Institute and the International and Transitional Justice Resource Center (ITJRC). In 2022, La Sagesse  University, the International Center for Human Sciences CISH – UNESCO, and IUSTICOM joined as consortium partners. Since 2023, the programme has been run by the Asser Institute, the Human Rights Legal Clinic at La Sagesse University and IUSTICOM in cooperation with 14 universities across the MENA region.

More information
For more information, please contact Dr Christophe Paulussen, acting academic director and chairperson of the executive board at the T.M.C. Asser Instituut.