China: Law schools vie for top spot in humanitarian law competition
Beijing (ICRC) - The contest for the best resumes this year as students from 33 universities participate in the 11th Red Cross International Humanitarian Law Moot Court Competition, Mainland China Round from 1st to 3rd December at the KoGuan Law School of Shanghai Jiao Tong University.
Teams using their argumentative skills and knowledge of international humanitarian law (IHL) will challenge each other in a simulated court trial to win their case and be amongst the three finalists to represent the Chinese mainland in the Asia-Pacific Regional IHL moot court competition in Hong Kong in 2018. Court trial will focus on topics such as sexual violence and protection of civilian populations in arm conflicts.
"In these simulated trials, law students are given the opportunity to learn by doing: they have to prepare arguments and represent themselves before judges. The competition also helps students test their knowledge of international humanitarian law, while improving their oral advocacy skills," said Zhou Wen, Head of Legal Department at the ICRC Regional Delegation for East Asia based in Beijing. "By so doing, we also hope to encourage future leaders and opinion-makers to study IHL and familiarize themselves with its principles and rules, while at the same time dealing with some of the most pressing issues in contemporary armed conflicts."
The ICRC has been organizing the annual IHL moot court competition in China since 2007 in partnership with a university. This year's event is co-organized with KoGuan Law School of Shanghai Jiao Tong University. More than 30 judges from national or international colleges and universities, think tanks, law firms, courts and relevant government departments have been invited to comment on participants' performance and decide on the winners.
The international humanitarian law is a set of rules designed to limit the effects of armed conflict, protects people not, or no longer, taking part in hostilities and to restrict the means and methods of warfare. The Geneva Conventions of 1949 and their Additional Protocols of 1977, are the main instruments of this body of law.
For further information, please contact:
Valery Mbaoh Nana, ICRC Regional Delegation for East Asia, Beijing, tel: +86 186 0025 3392
Michael Zhang, ICRC Regional Delegation for East Asia, Beijing, tel: +86 138 1003 5522
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