LLM Study Trip: Geneva Summer 2023
Posted on: 28 August 2023 by Harsh Wordhan in Blog
At the beginning of August 2023, I attended a study trip to Geneva along with nine other LLM students selected for the trip. Professor Antal Berkes accompanied us on the trip, and we met Dr Vassilis Tzevelekos once we landed in Switzerland. The trip was an excellent opportunity to visit many prestigious institutions and gain more insight into our possible legal career paths.
Day 1
Once we had landed and dropped off our bags at the hotel, we explored the beautiful city and visited several historical landmarks and tourist attractions. The Geneva Eye and the Lake Geneva lakeside views were breathtaking. We were quite tired after our trip, so we spent the evening resting at the hotel and preparing for our busy itinerary in the days ahead.
Day 2
After a delicious breakfast at the hotel, we caught a bus to the UN headquarters. We were issued with ID cards and were excited to set foot in such a prestigious international institution. We had a mini-tour of the UN HRC building to see the expositions and library, followed by a UN Human Rights Council Advisory Committee session on Neurotechnology, which was very insightful. The discussion touched on the human rights issues associated with technology alongside useful medical applications. A Q&A session between the drafting committee and the panel members followed this. The discussion turned interesting when it slipped into a debate among the panel members about introducing a separate mental health right under the HRC or if the existing mechanism is adequate to deal with the inevitable challenges. The session concluded with an evaluation of the Chilean model of Constitutional protection for mental privacy or neuro activity.
After a quick snack, we headed to the World Trade Organisation (WTO) to meet panel lawyers Ms. Vishakha Choudhary and Mr. Miguel Villamizar. They conducted a seminar on the functioning of the Dispute Settlement Body (DSB), Appellate Body (AB) and the Ministerial Conference. We were all lucky enough to have studied modules like Human Rights in Europe and International Trade & Public Health, so we found these discussions very interesting.
After such a busy day, we spent the evening having drinks and food with Antal and Vassilis at the Calia restaurant near our hotel. We finished the evening by playing some card games before heading to bed.
Day 3
We started by attending an informal talk about the UN examination system with Secretaries and other UNHRC officials, which prepared us for today’s discussion at the UN Human Rights Council Advisory Committee on Emerging Technologies in Military Domain. The session included discussions about topics including Normative Developments, Augmented Soldiers and AI usage in the military. Hearing arguments from voices around the world on these topics was invaluable.
After a quick lunch at the UN café, we chatted with Ms. Aikaterini Vounisiou, posted at the Greek Permanent Mission to the UN, and Dr. Zoltan Turbek, posted at the Hungarian Permanent Mission to the UN, about their experiences in their fields of work. We had the opportunity to ask plenty of questions and gain insights into their careers.
Following this, we attended the UN Biochemical Weapons Convention session, followed by a meeting with UN Human Rights Officer Dr Maria Smirnova and her husband, Mr Martin Browne, who runs the Geneva International Center for Justice. We had a great discussion with them about the right to education and human rights violations and were able to ask them about their career progressions as well. After this, we had dinner at the Hamburger Foundation before retiring to the hotel after an incredibly busy but exciting day.
Day 4
We headed to the World Health Organisation (WHO) on our final day in Geneva. When we got there, we had a presentation from Dr Benn McGrady, a panel lawyer at the Public Health Promotion Department, about the structure and function of WHO. We also discussed the legal challenges to public health, followed by a Q&A session.
We then visited the International Museum of Red Cross and Red Crescent (ICRC) opposite the UN Headquarters before leaving the hotel and heading to the airport to return home.
Final thoughts
This trip was a once in a lifetime opportunity, which gave us incredible insights into the functions of these international organisations and the possible careers we can go into in international law. We met so many individuals who worked in these fields and had the opportunity to ask them questions and make new connections. It was also an excellent opportunity to make new friends and socialise with students with similar interests to myself in the legal sector.
I want to thank Dr. Katie Johnston, Dr. Vassilis Tzevelekos, Dr. Antal Berkes, Siobhan Regan, Hannah Lewis & the School of Law and Social Justice Internationalisation Team for making this trip possible. We had a great time and would recommend that anyone else who is given the same opportunity to go on this trip grabs it with both hands!
Keywords: geneva, llm, study trip , law student, un, human rights.