Patrick Zahnd
Patrick Zahnd is teaching this course at Sciences Po Paris / PSIA for the 5th year in a row (since fall 2014).
He is also an invited foreign professor at the TEC de Monterrey in Mexico City. He has been teaching at Oberliin College, Ohio, USA, the UN mandated University for Peace in Costa Rica and at Sciences Po Paris, Poitiers Campus.
He has been /is also a consultant for various humanitarian and academic institutions, including MSF, Geneva Call.
He has been serving ICRC for 32 years in a variety of senior operational capacity as well as diplomatic and legal advisor ones.
He previously served as a programme manager with the European Commission (Development) and program officer with UNDP in Africa. He has gained a solid experience in managing large multidimensional and multinational teams, negotiation and cooperation with States officials and institutions, multilateral diplomacy, programmes development . He has served ICRC in a large variety of senior operational management capacities (Head of Operations in Africa, Head of Regional Delegations, Head of Mission in various continents…) and expert functions (political, policy, legal and diplomatic expert/advisor) in situations of armed conflict and other situations of violence all through the world and at HQ in Geneva.
He has contributed intensively to the promotion, implementation, respect and initiatives of development of IHL with a variety of States highest political and military authorities, including the parliaments, judiciary, armed and security forces, but also non-state actors and promoted the teaching of IHL in numerous universities. He has organized a large number of international and regional conferences and seminars on the topic and the humanitarian consequences of armed conflicts and armed violence.
He has a large experience in multilateral diplomacy and negotiation and is familiar with the multilateral institutions, mechanisms and main actors. He has headed various diplomatic representations including as permanent observer to the UN and as an observer to a variety of regional organizations. He has been a political and diplomatic advisor to the Director of Operations and policy advisor of the ICRC. He has also headed the ICRC Advisory Services in IHL in the CIS countries and the Americas, is a recognized expert in IHL and an academic having taught IHL in numerous universities and institutes in the world, member of various national International Law Societies.
