2015 Jean-Pictet Competition to be held in the United States

This was announced today, at an event in Geneva, Switzerland to commemorate the 100th anniversary of the birth of Jean Pictet, a Swiss jurist, expert in international humanitarian law and senior staff member and Vice President of the International Committee of the Red Cross. Jean Pictet was influential in the drafting of the Geneva Conventions and their Commentaries between 1949 and 1960.

The 27th Annual Jean-Pictet Competition will take place in the United States for the first time since 2001. This was made possible thanks to the financial contribution of the American public through the American Red Cross, which makes it the Competition’s main sponsor for 2015.

“We are proud to be a partner and the primary sponsor of the 2015 competition,” said David Meltzer, General Counsel and Chief International Officer of the American Red Cross. “We are excited to be instrumental in hosting the event in the US. With a long-established International Services Department and a dedicated International Humanitarian Law Unit, the American Red Cross is a natural supporter of this foundational event in legal education.”

The International Committee of the Red Cross has been the longest-standing and most significant sponsor of the Competition since its inception in 1989, contributing financial and human resources. The Competition is one of the most important external events for the ICRC every year. “Our commitment to support the Jean-Pictet Competition stems from its unique and decisive contribution in the field of IHL training,” said Etienne Kuster, adviser for relations with academic circles at the ICRC. “The Competition has trained generations of humanitarian lawyers and practitioners, who now play an active role in IHL implementation in various institutions around the world”.

“We are grateful for the involvement and financial support of the American Red Cross and the ICRC, including its Regional Delegation for the United States and Canada,” said Christopher Rassi, president of the Competition’s Steering Committee. “Together with them and the invaluable contributions of our other sponsors, I am confident that we will make the 2015 edition a success.”

The Jean-Pictet Competition is the leading international humanitarian law moot court competition, and one of the most innovative training programmes in public international law for law students.  Every year, approximately 150 students representing 48 universities from over 30 countries take part in this unique and world-renowned event. The Competition aims to “take the law out of the books,” exposing students to a variety of simulations and role-plays.

For further information, please contact:
Marie-Hélène Proulx, Jean-Pictet Competition, tel: +31 613 08 75 45
Étienne Kuster, ICRC Geneva, tel: +41 22 730 36 40
Felicity Amos, American Red Cross, Washington, tel: +1 202 415 0456