2nd International Disaster Law Course

The course on International Disaster Law (IDL) offers participants an opportunity to analyse one of today’s most important legal challenges: the prevention and management of natural and man-made disasters. Lectures will be delivered by distinguished speakers including Eduardo Valencia-Ospina (Special Rapporteur of the ILC on the Protection of Persons in the Event of Disasters), Walter Kälin (former Representative of the UN Secretary-General on the Human Rights of Internally Displaced Persons), academics, as well as representatives of relevant international and national actors involved in IDL, such as the IFRC, IAEA, OCHA, the Italian Civil Protection Department and the Italian Red Cross.

The programme seeks to offer a comprehensive overview of the main practical, diplomatic and military issues related to the legal aspects of disaster prevention and management activities. Topics will be covered using a plenary-based approach complemented by practical exercises designed to test the participants’ ability to find outcome oriented solutions through the application of relevant IDL provisions.

The course covers a broad spectrum of international law related to disasters, including norms on humanitarian assistance, human rights, civil protection, cultural heritage, environmental protection, risk reduction and climate change. Through short lectures and interactive scenarios, it will provide a broad overview of existing international legal frameworks and current debates at the global and regional levels.

Target audience

The course is tailored towards graduate and post-graduate students with an interest in IDL; practitioners (e.g. staff of civil protection departments; staff of Red Cross and Red Crescent societies; NGOs) involved in disaster management; and professionals with an academic background in the areas of law, security studies, international relations, humanitarian assistance or other related fields, eager to expand their knowledge on IDL.