In-depth analysis of two areas of international law: international human rights law and the law of international organisations.

Knowledge and understanding: knowledge of the institutional functioning of legal entities such as international organizations and of the activities they carry out for the protection of human rights. Applying knowledge and understanding: ability to frame current legal problems of the law of international organisations. Making judgements: acquisition and application of the legal tools for the understanding of international organizations dynamics. Communication skills: ability to elaborate, in oral and written form, legal arguments, solidly based on normative sources, concerning the functioning of international organisations, especially in the area of human rights. Learning skills: improving the capacity of reading the dynamics of IOs in the perspective of their possible future developments with regard to the protection of human rights.

First Module - International Human Rights Law. History, Foundations and Features of International Human Rights Law. Universalism, Regionalism and Cultural Relativism. General International Law and Human Rights. Treaty Law and Human Rights. European Human Rights System (part 1). European Human Rights System (part 2). Inter-american Human Rights System. African Human Rights System. The UN and Human Rights (part 1). The UN and Human Rights (part 2). Second Module - Law of International Organisations. The Notion of International Organisations. The Rise of International Organisations. Legal Personality of International Organisations. Powers of International Organisations. Structure of International Organisations. Membership of International Organisations. Acts of International Organisations. Privileges and Immunities of International Organisations. Responsibility of International Organisations (part 1). Responsibility of International Organisations (part 2).

J. Klabbers, “An Introduction to International Organizations Law”, IV ed., Cambridge, 2022. P. Klein, “Responsibility”, in J. Katz Cogan, I. Hurd, I. Johnstone, “The Oxford Handbook of International Organizations”, Oxford, 2017, pp. 1026-1047. P. Pustorino, “Introduction to International Human Rights Law”, Berlin, 2023. Additional readings will be provided in due time during the course.

Lectures, seminars, and break-out sessions.

Students may take two midterms in written form with open-ended questions. The first midterm will cover the module on international human rights law and will be taken in the sixth week of the course. The second midterm will concern the module on the law of international organisations and will be taken in the twelfth and final week of the course. Each of the two midterms will allow the acquisition of 12/30 points, giving a total of 24/30 points. Students who have passed the two midterms will be able to take an oral interview based on a single question, which will allow up to 7/30 points. The maximum grade students may obtain is of course 30/30 cum laude. Students may choose not to take the two midterms or to take the two midterms and then reject the grades obtained: in both cases students will then have to take a full oral examination with at least 3 questions and lasting approximately 20 minutes. Students who have taken only one midterm without taking the other will also necessarily have to take the full oral examination.

Final grade must be no less than 28/30. Bases in the field of International Law and EU Law are requested. High knowldege of English and French are recommended.