Education and Training
Antonio Cassese, as a professor and jurist, passionately believed in the transformative power of law and education to drive positive change.
In tribute to his legacy, since its establishment the Antonio Cassese Initiative has implemented a comprehensive and long-term capacity-building strategy to strengthen national judiciaries.
This initiative includes annual workshops for judges and prosecutors from various countries in West Africa and South America. Its primary aim is to create a safe and collaborative space for dialogue and the exchange of best practices in addressing international crimes. Furthermore, it seeks to enhance regional and international networks among national and international judicial bodies, fostering greater cooperation and synergy.
Key partners in this effort have included the Geneva Academy of International Humanitarian Law and Human Rights and the Solidarieté Internationale of the State of Geneva. They now include the Asser Institute in The Hague, the International Nuremberg Principles Academy, the Dutch Ministry of Foreign Affairs, and the International Committee of the Red Cross (ICRC).
The Antonio Cassese Lecture was established by Micaela Frulli at the University of Florence in 2012, on the first anniversary of Antonio Cassese’s passing.
Since its inception, the lecture has become an annual event dedicated to honoring the legacy by exploring topics that lay at the core of his scholarly and personal interests, with a special focus on contemporary issues. The of Antonio Cassese lecture’s ambitious goal is to pay tribute to Cassese in a way that reflects his values: fostering meaningful dialogue on international law. Each year, distinguished experts are invited to engage in substantive discussions with students and peers, moving beyond rhetoric to conduct in-depth analyses of critical legal challenges. The aim is to develop innovative proposals for addressing gaps and advancing the field of international law.
Countries emerging from armed conflict face significant challenges, including reestablishing the rule of law, mitigating and preventing conflict, integrating traumatic events, preserving and negotiating collective memories, and fostering reconciliation, nation-building, and identity.
While traditional measures applied in post-authoritarian regimes provide valuable guidelines, contemporary post-conflict settings demand a more nuanced, targeted, and sensitive approach. This approach must address political, security, transitional justice, and social factors to support long-term peace and an equitable political, economic, and social order.
Against this backdrop, the Antonio Cassese Initiative organized two Summer Schools in 2013 and 2014 on Political Transition and Transitional Justice. These events were held in collaboration with the Geneva Academy of International Humanitarian Law and Human Rights and the University of Geneva.
These summer schools laid the foundation for the launch, in 2016, of a new Master of Advanced Studies in Transitional Justice, Human Rights, and the Rule of Law at the Geneva Academy of International Humanitarian Law and Human Rights.