The Henry Dunant Prize Foundation Council is pleased to award the 2024 Henry Dunant Research Prize to Professor Marco Sassòli.
Whether through his work as a delegate of the International Committee of the Red Cross, his involvement as a member or president of humanitarian non-governmental organizations, his teaching, or his numerous publications, Marco Sassòli has demonstrated an exceptional commitment to international humanitarian law and the protection of war victims. He has consistently advocated for greater awareness and adherence to this branch of law.
Read the full program for this day, as well as the laudatio (speech) by François Bugnion (automated translation in English).
Biographie
Marco Sassòli is a distinguished professor of international law specializing in humanitarian law. A Swiss and Italian citizen, he earned his Doctor of Laws degree from the University of Basel and was admitted to the Swiss bar.
Sassòli devoted a significant portion of his career to working with the International Committee of the Red Cross (ICRC), where he served from 1985 to 1997. During his tenure, he held various positions, including Deputy Head of the Legal Division, Head of the ICRC Delegations in Jordan and Syria, and Protection Coordinator for the former Yugoslavia. In 2011, he took a sabbatical to rejoin the ICRC as a legal advisor to its delegation in Islamabad, Pakistan.
Academically, Marco Sassòli has been a Professor of International Law at the Faculty of Law of the University of Geneva since 2004. He also served as a professor at the Université du Québec à Montreal from 2001 to 2003, where he remains an Associate Professor. Additionally, he is the Director of the Geneva Academy of International Humanitarian Law and Human Rights and a Commissioner of the International Commission of Jurists (ICJ) since 2013.
Beyond his academic commitments, Sassòli chaired the board of Geneva Call, an NGO that engages non-state armed actors to respect humanitarian rules, from 2004 to 201. He has also served as a pro bono special advisor on international humanitarian law to the prosecutor of the International Criminal Court.
Sassòli’s academic contributions are extensive, covering international humanitarian law, international human rights law, international criminal law, the sources of international law, and the responsibility of states and non-state actors. One of his notable publications is “International Humanitarian Law: Rules, Controversies, and Solutions to Problems Arising in Warfare,” published in 2019.
Marco Sassòli is widely recognized for his efforts in protecting human rights and promoting humanitarian norms in armed conflicts. His career exemplifies dedication to the application and teaching of humanitarian principles at the international level.