Jean Pictet Competition

Section I

About the Jean Pictet Competition

The Jean Pictet Competition is unlike any other moot court in the world. Named after Jean Pictet — the legendary Swiss jurist who authored the commentaries on the Geneva Conventions — this competition does not involve memorials, oral pleadings, or courtroom simulation. Instead, it immerses participants in a multi-day, live-action roleplay scenario set in a fictional armed conflict, where teams must apply international humanitarian law (IHL) in real time to fluid, unpredictable situations unfolding around them.

Organised by the International Committee of the Red Cross (ICRC) in partnership with leading universities and National Red Cross/Red Crescent Societies, the Pictet has been running since 1989. It typically takes place in a different country each year, using local terrain — forests, villages, mountain paths, historical buildings — as the physical backdrop for its simulated conflict. Participants encounter actors playing refugees, wounded combatants, military commanders, journalists, humanitarian workers, and civilians caught in crossfire. They must negotiate, advise, protest, report, and protect — all while demonstrating mastery of IHL in its most practical, visceral form.

This is the competition that teaches you what law looks like when the courtroom is a muddy field and the judge is a military officer who doesn’t care about your legal citations. It is, by consensus of coaches and alumni, the most transformative moot experience in international law.

What Makes Pictet Unique

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No Courtroom

There are no judges’ benches or memorials. IHL is tested through live scenarios with actors in the field, indoors and outdoors, over multiple days.

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Real-Time Decision-Making

You don’t have hours to prepare arguments. You have seconds to decide how the law applies as the scenario unfolds in front of you.

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Global & Physical

Held in different countries each year with physical terrain as the setting. Teams navigate real locations while the conflict scenario plays out.

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Multiple Roles

Teams rotate through roles: ICRC delegate, legal adviser to a military commander, civilian protection officer, media spokesperson, and more.

Section II

Competition Structure

Team Composition

Each participating team consists of three to five students, typically from the same university. Many regions hold qualifying rounds before the international final. Teams must be prepared for every member to step into any role — there is no specialisation. The competition explicitly rewards teams whose members all demonstrate deep IHL knowledge, not those who rely on a single star performer.

The Scenario Architecture

The competition organisers develop a detailed fictional conflict scenario, usually released in stages. The first part (the “background brief”) is distributed weeks before the competition and describes the geopolitical context: the states involved, the nature of the armed conflict (international, non-international, or mixed), the key actors (armed forces, non-state armed groups, international organisations, civilians), and the escalating crisis. This brief often runs 30–50 pages and forms the foundation of all preparation.

During the competition itself, the scenario evolves in real time. New developments are introduced every few hours: a hospital is bombed, prisoners are taken, a ceasefire is declared and then broken, a journalist is detained, an aid convoy is blocked, a drone strike targets a wedding, a child soldier is captured. Teams must respond to each development by engaging with the actors playing the relevant parties.

Roles Played by Teams

Unlike courtroom moots where every team plays “counsel,” Pictet teams rotate through diverse roles across the competition days. Common roles include:

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ICRC Delegate

Visit detention facilities, negotiate access to wounded, remind parties of their obligations under the Geneva Conventions. Maintain neutrality while firmly invoking IHL.

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Legal Adviser to Armed Forces

Advise a military commander on targeting decisions, treatment of prisoners, proportionality assessments, and precautionary obligations under Protocol I.

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Media / Spokesperson

Draft press statements, respond to reporters’ questions about alleged violations, manage the information dimension of the conflict.

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Civilian Protection Officer

Assess civilian risk in military operations, invoke rules on protected objects, challenge decisions that endanger non-combatants.

Evaluation

Teams are assessed by IHL experts — often ICRC legal advisers, military lawyers, and academics — who observe their performance during each scenario phase. Scoring criteria are not publicly standardised but consistently reward:

Accuracy of IHL application: Correctly identifying the applicable rules, the classification of the conflict, and the status of protected persons and objects.
Practical realism: Advice that is operationally feasible, not merely academically correct. A military commander won’t halt an operation because you cite Article 51(5)(b) — you need to explain what that means for their next targeting decision.
Communication skills: Clarity under pressure, diplomatic firmness, ability to persuade hostile or sceptical actors.
Teamwork: Coordinated responses, supporting each other in high-pressure moments, rotating roles smoothly.
Ethical reasoning: Navigating moral dilemmas that the law doesn’t fully resolve, demonstrating humanitarian instinct alongside legal precision.

Section III

Legal Frameworks & Subject Matter

The Pictet Competition tests the full breadth of international humanitarian law — the laws of war, the law of armed conflict, and the intersection of IHL with human rights law and international criminal law. Your preparation must cover the entire IHL corpus, because you will not know in advance which rules will be triggered by the scenario.

The four Geneva Conventions of 1949 form the bedrock of your preparation. You must know them not merely as texts but as operational instruments:

Geneva Convention I — Protection of wounded and sick in land warfare. Key Articles: 12 (humane treatment), 15 (search for and collection of wounded), 19–23 (medical units and transports), 24–26 (protected personnel).
Geneva Convention II — Protection of wounded, sick, and shipwrecked at sea. Relevant where the scenario involves naval dimensions.
Geneva Convention III — Treatment of prisoners of war. Articles 4 (POW status), 13 (humane treatment), 17 (interrogation limits), 25–32 (quarters and food), 82–108 (penal and disciplinary sanctions). This Convention is tested extensively in Pictet scenarios involving detention.
Geneva Convention IV — Protection of civilians. Articles 27–34 (general protections), 47–78 (occupied territories), 79–135 (internment). The most frequently invoked Convention in modern Pictet scenarios.
Additional Protocol I (1977) — Rules governing international armed conflicts. Part IV on civilian protection is critical: Articles 48 (distinction), 51 (protection of civilians), 52 (general protection of civilian objects), 54 (protection of objects indispensable to survival), 57 (precautions in attack), 58 (precautions against effects of attacks).
Additional Protocol II (1977) — Rules for non-international armed conflicts. Though shorter, its provisions on humane treatment (Art. 4), wounded and sick (Art. 7–12), and civilian protection (Art. 13–18) are essential when the scenario involves a civil war or insurgency.
Additional Protocol III (2005) — The Red Crystal emblem. Relevant when emblem misuse forms part of a scenario.

Beyond these, the 1980 Convention on Certain Conventional Weapons and its Protocols (incendiary weapons, mines, blinding laser weapons, explosive remnants of war) appear when targeting scenarios involve specific weapon types. The 1997 Ottawa Convention (anti-personnel mines) and the 2008 Convention on Cluster Munitions are also part of the landscape.

The ICRC Study on Customary International Humanitarian Law (2005) identifies 161 rules of customary IHL. For the Pictet Competition, the most critical customary rules include:

Rule 1: The principle of distinction. Parties must distinguish between civilians and combatants, and between civilian objects and military objectives.
Rule 14: Proportionality. Attacks that may be expected to cause incidental loss of civilian life excessive in relation to the concrete and direct military advantage anticipated are prohibited.
Rule 15–21: Precautions in and against attack. Feasible precautions must be taken to minimise civilian harm.
Rule 45: Prohibition of collective punishments.
Rule 47: Individual criminal responsibility for war crimes.
Rule 87–105: Treatment of persons hors de combat — wounded, sick, detained, dead. Humane treatment, prohibition of torture, medical care obligations.
Rule 118: Provision of basic necessities to civilians in the power of a party to the conflict.
Rule 131–133: Treatment of displaced persons.
Rule 139: Respect for international humanitarian law is not dependent on reciprocity.

These customary rules are particularly important in non-international armed conflicts, where treaty law may be thinner, and in situations involving states that have not ratified Additional Protocols I and II.

Modern Pictet scenarios frequently test the intersection of IHL and international human rights law (IHRL). Key issues include:

Lex specialis vs. complementarity: The ICJ’s Nuclear Weapons Advisory Opinion (1996) and the Wall Advisory Opinion (2004) established that human rights law continues to apply during armed conflict, with IHL as lex specialis on specific points. The DRC v. Uganda judgment (2005) further clarified this relationship.
Detention in NIAC: Where IHL provides limited detention authority in non-international armed conflicts, human rights law (particularly ICCPR Article 9 and regional conventions) fills gaps regarding procedural safeguards, judicial review, and conditions of detention.
Right to life during hostilities: The interaction between IHL targeting rules and IHRL right-to-life provisions (ICCPR Art. 6, ECHR Art. 2). This arises in drone strike scenarios and targeted killing situations.
Occupation and civil administration: The occupying power’s obligations under GC IV intersect with IHRL obligations regarding education, health, economic rights, and freedom of movement in occupied territories.

Teams that can fluidly navigate between IHL and IHRL frameworks — applying lex specialis where appropriate while invoking human rights protections to fill gaps — consistently outperform those who treat IHL in isolation.

While scenarios change annually, certain themes recur because they represent the most complex operational challenges in IHL:

Conflict classification: Determining whether a situation is an international armed conflict, non-international armed conflict, or a mixed situation. This affects which legal framework applies.
Civilian direct participation in hostilities: The ICRC Interpretive Guidance (2009) on direct participation in hostilities is essential. When does a civilian lose protection? For how long? What constitutes a “continuous combat function”?
Medical neutrality: Protection of medical personnel, units, and transports. What happens when a hospital is used for military purposes? When does protection cease?
Siege and humanitarian access: Obligations to allow relief operations, the prohibition of starvation as a method of warfare, and the practical negotiation of humanitarian corridors.
Child soldiers: Recruitment, use in hostilities, and treatment upon capture. The tension between victim status and combatant function.
Cultural property: The 1954 Hague Convention and its Protocols, enhanced protection, and military necessity exceptions.
Autonomous weapons and new technologies: Increasingly featured in modern Pictet scenarios — how do existing IHL rules on distinction, proportionality, and precautions apply to AI-driven targeting systems?
Non-state armed groups: Their obligations under IHL, the “organised armed group” threshold under AP II, and practical engagement strategies.

Section IV

Research Strategy Masterclass

The Pictet Research Difference

Research for the Pictet Competition is fundamentally different from research for courtroom moots. You are not building a persuasive legal argument. You are building an operational knowledge base that you can deploy in real time, under pressure, without notes. The research challenge is therefore as much about internalisation as it is about breadth.

Primary Sources: The Core Texts

Begin with the treaties themselves. Do not read summaries. Read the actual articles. For each major provision (especially GC III, GC IV, AP I Part IV, AP II), create a mental map of what it requires, whom it protects, what exceptions exist, and what practical situations trigger it.

The ICRC Commentaries on the Geneva Conventions are indispensable. The updated 2016–2020 commentaries on GC I, II, III, and IV represent the most authoritative interpretive guide to these instruments. They contain article-by-article analysis with state practice, case law, and operational guidance. For the Pictet, focus on the practical application paragraphs that explain how rules operate in the field.

The ICRC Study on Customary IHL (Henckaerts & Doswald-Beck, 2005) — available in full at ihl-databases.icrc.org — is your reference for rules that apply regardless of treaty ratification. The online Practice Volumes contain the supporting state practice for each rule.

Secondary Sources & Operational Knowledge

The ICRC’s International Review of the Red Cross is the premier journal for IHL scholarship. Focus on recent issues covering contemporary conflict challenges: urban warfare, cyber operations, autonomous weapons, humanitarian access, and detention in non-international armed conflicts.

The ICRC’s Interpretive Guidance on Direct Participation in Hostilities (2009) is a critical secondary source. It addresses the most frequently tested grey area in Pictet scenarios: when civilians become legitimate military targets.

For the IHL–human rights interface, study the Human Rights Committee’s General Comment No. 36 on the right to life (2018), which extensively discusses armed conflict situations. The ECtHR’s Hassan v. United Kingdom (2014) and the ICJ’s DRC v. Uganda (2005) provide the leading judicial treatments.

Military manuals — particularly the UK Manual of the Law of Armed Conflict (2004), the US Department of Defense Law of War Manual (2015, updated 2016 & 2023), and the Australian Law of Armed Conflict Manual — provide invaluable insight into how states operationalise IHL. Reading these helps you understand how a military commander thinks about legal advice, which is essential for the Legal Adviser role.

Scenario-Specific Research

Once the scenario brief is released, identify every IHL issue embedded in it. Create a matrix: down the left column, list every factual development in the scenario; across the top, list the applicable IHL rules, the protected persons/objects involved, the legal obligations of each party, and the grey areas where the law is unclear. This matrix becomes your team’s operational playbook.

Research the real-world parallels to your scenario. If the scenario involves urban siege warfare, study the ICRC’s reports on Aleppo, Mosul, and Gaza. If it involves detention of non-state fighters, study the Guantánamo litigation and the ICRC’s position on security detention in NIACs. If it involves autonomous weapons, study the CCW discussions and the ICRC’s position papers on autonomous weapon systems.

Section V

Simulation Preparation Guide

Because the Pictet does not use memorials, this section replaces the traditional “Memorial Drafting Guide” found in courtroom moot guides. Instead, it addresses the unique written and preparatory outputs that Pictet demands.

The Operational Briefing Book

Top Pictet teams prepare an “Operational Briefing Book” — a concise, tabbed reference document (usually 15–25 pages) that organises IHL rules by situation type rather than by treaty article. This is the document you carry into the field.

Structure it around operational situations:

Targeting decisions: Distinction, proportionality, precautions, military objectives, dual-use objects.
Detention: POW status, civilian internment, treatment obligations, procedural rights, ICRC access.
Medical operations: Protected status of medical personnel/units/transports, loss of protection, wounded and sick obligations.
Civilian protection: Forced displacement, humanitarian corridors, protected objects (schools, hospitals, cultural property, dams, nuclear installations).
Occupation: Hague Regulations, GC IV Part III Section III, maintenance of public order, requisitions, collective punishment prohibition.
Non-international armed conflict: Common Article 3, AP II thresholds, customary IHL rules applicable in NIACs.
Weaponry: Prohibited weapons, indiscriminate weapons, specific weapon treaties.

For each situation, include: the applicable rules (with article numbers), the key obligations of each party, the most common violations, and suggested language for invoking these rules in conversation with an actor.

Written Outputs During Competition

Some Pictet exercises require teams to produce written outputs under time pressure:

Legal memoranda: Brief written advice to a commander or an ICRC delegation head, applying IHL to a specific situation. These should be 1–2 pages, written in plain operational language, with precise legal citations.
Diplomatic communications: Draft protest letters to a warring party regarding alleged violations, request letters for humanitarian access, or public statements.
Situation reports: Factual summaries of observed violations or humanitarian needs, structured for decision-makers.

Practice these formats before the competition. The key principle is operational brevity with legal precision: your reader is not an academic but a decision-maker under pressure.

The One-Page Quick Reference

Create a laminated one-page sheet with the single most critical rule for each common scenario. When an actor confronts you with a situation, you should be able to glance at this sheet and instantly identify the governing rule. Example entries:

“They’re shooting at the hospital” → GC I Art. 19, AP I Art. 12, Customary Rule 28. Loss of protection only if used to commit hostile acts, and only after due warning and reasonable time.
“We captured a child with a gun” → AP I Art. 77(2), CRC-OP Art. 1–4, Customary Rule 136. Must be treated as victims. If entitled to POW status, retain it. Special protection as a minor.
“We need to bomb the bridge — civilians use it” → AP I Art. 51(5)(b) proportionality, Art. 57 precautions. Military advantage must be concrete and direct; civilian harm must not be excessive in relation.

Section VI

Roleplay & Oral Advocacy Masterclass

In the Pictet Competition, your “oral advocacy” is not a prepared speech delivered to a bench. It is improvised, interactive, and relational. You must persuade, negotiate, protest, advise, and sometimes simply listen — all while maintaining legal accuracy under the pressure of a moving scenario.

The Golden Rule of Pictet Advocacy

Never lecture a military commander about treaty law. Instead, translate the law into operational language. Don’t say “Article 51(5)(b) of Additional Protocol I prohibits attacks that may be expected to cause incidental loss of civilian life excessive in relation to the concrete and direct military advantage anticipated.” Say: “Colonel, if this strike goes ahead, the civilian casualties in that market will far outweigh the tactical gain of taking out a single supply truck. That exposes your forces to war crimes liability, and it will hand the enemy a propaganda victory. I recommend delaying until the market empties at nightfall.”

The law is the foundation. But the language of persuasion is operational, practical, and consequence-oriented.

Role-Specific Advocacy Approaches

The ICRC delegate role is the most distinctive in the Pictet. The ICRC’s mandate is unique: it acts as a neutral, impartial, and independent humanitarian actor. As an ICRC delegate, you do not take sides. You do not condemn. You do not publicly shame. But you are absolutely relentless in pursuing humanitarian access and protecting persons affected by the conflict.

Key techniques:

Confidential bilateral dialogue: The ICRC’s primary working method. You raise concerns directly and privately with the responsible party, based on specific facts, referencing specific obligations.
The “reminder” not the “accusation”: “We would like to remind the authorities of their obligations under the Third Geneva Convention regarding conditions of detention” is ICRC language. “You are violating Article 13” is not.
Persistence without confrontation: If denied access to detainees, do not argue. Request again. Document the refusal. Escalate within the ICRC structure. Return tomorrow and request again.
Practical negotiation: Offer solutions. “If security concerns prevent our access to the main facility, perhaps we could begin with the infirmary wing, accompanied by your security personnel.”

As a legal adviser to a military commander, your job is to ensure compliance with IHL while enabling the commander to achieve legitimate military objectives. You are not an obstacle; you are an enabler who keeps the commander out of trouble.

Speak their language: Use operational terms. “The target is a lawful military objective under the law of armed conflict” is better than citing article numbers.
Provide options, not prohibitions: Instead of “You can’t bomb the school,” say “The school is protected. However, if confirmed that the enemy is using it as a weapons depot, we can target it after issuing an effective advance warning and allowing time for civilian evacuation.”
Be decisive: Commanders need clear advice, fast. “My assessment is that this target is lawful. The expected civilian harm is proportionate to the concrete military advantage. I recommend proceeding with the following precautions…”
Maintain red lines: Some things cannot be authorised regardless of military necessity — torture, deliberate targeting of civilians, perfidy. When asked to approve something unlawful, be firm: “I cannot advise this course of action. It constitutes a grave breach of the Geneva Conventions. I strongly recommend the alternative approach.”

When acting as a media spokesperson, you must balance transparency with operational security, legal accuracy with public accessibility, and diplomatic caution with moral clarity.

Stay on message: Before any press interaction, establish your three key points. Deliver them regardless of what questions are asked.
Never speculate: “We are investigating the reports” is always safer than premature legal conclusions. If an alleged violation has occurred, acknowledge concern and promise investigation without admitting liability.
Use IHL vocabulary carefully: Saying “we take our obligations under international humanitarian law very seriously” is appropriate. Accidentally characterising a situation as a “war crime” before investigation is catastrophic.
Handle hostile questioning: “That is not consistent with our understanding of the facts. We have established an investigation and will share findings through appropriate channels.” Repeat as needed. Do not get drawn into argument.

In this role, you advocate for civilian populations during active operations. This requires the most emotional composure, because actors will present you with desperate civilian scenarios designed to test your legal knowledge and your humanity simultaneously.

Document everything: Record facts, times, locations, witnesses. This documentation becomes the basis for accountability.
Invoke specific protections: “Under Article 54 of Additional Protocol I, starvation of civilians as a method of warfare is prohibited. The blocking of this food convoy constitutes a violation of this obligation.”
Escalate appropriately: If the party responsible for the violation is unresponsive, raise the issue with their superiors, with the ICRC, with other humanitarian actors.
Maintain composure: Actors may shout, threaten, or present emotionally overwhelming situations. Your effectiveness depends on remaining calm, authoritative, and persistent.

Section VII

Advanced Winning Strategies

What Separates Winners from Participants

Having coached and observed multiple Pictet iterations, the difference between winning teams and participating teams comes down to three qualities: internalisation of the law, adaptability under pressure, and authentic engagement with the humanitarian purpose of IHL. You cannot fake any of these.

Strategy 1: Internalise, Don’t Memorise

The worst thing you can do in a Pictet scenario is pull out your Geneva Convention and start flipping through pages. By the time you find the article, the scenario has moved on and you’ve demonstrated that you don’t know the law well enough to apply it live. Winning teams have internalised the fundamental principles — distinction, proportionality, precaution, humane treatment, medical neutrality — so deeply that they can apply them instinctively. The specific articles are important for citation in written exercises, but in live interaction, you need the principle in your bones.

Strategy 2: Master Conflict Classification Early

The single most important legal determination in any Pictet scenario is the classification of the conflict. Is it an international armed conflict (IAC)? A non-international armed conflict (NIAC)? A mixed situation? An occupation? This classification determines which legal framework applies, and getting it wrong cascades into every subsequent analysis. Winning teams resolve classification in their first team briefing after reading the scenario, supported by careful analysis of Common Article 2, Common Article 3, and the AP II threshold.

Strategy 3: Read the Room

Each actor in the simulation is a trained evaluator. They are testing specific things. A military commander who asks “Can I bomb the bridge?” is testing your understanding of targeting law. A detainee who says “I’m a journalist, not a combatant” is testing your knowledge of protected persons status. A civilian who begs you to intervene is testing your ability to invoke civilian protection rules while managing expectations about what can be achieved.

Elite teams read these cues and respond to the underlying legal question, not just the surface narrative. They understand that the simulation is a structured assessment, and they deliver the legal analysis the evaluators are looking for — wrapped in realistic, humane, operationally appropriate communication.

Strategy 4: Teamwork as Force Multiplier

In Pictet, no individual can carry a team. The scenarios are designed to overwhelm a single person. Winning teams have pre-established coordination protocols: who leads the initial interaction, who takes notes, who watches for new developments, how to signal each other to take over when one person is stuck. Practice these protocols in mock simulations before the competition.

Strategy 5: Engage with Grey Areas Honestly

The most impressive thing a team can do in a Pictet scenario is acknowledge genuine legal uncertainty. IHL does not resolve every situation. When a commander asks whether a certain action is lawful and the law is genuinely unclear, the winning response is not to pretend certainty. It is: “Sir, this is a situation where the law does not provide a definitive answer. However, the principles of precaution and humanity suggest that the most cautious course of action would be… and the military risk of proceeding without caution is…” Evaluators reward intellectual honesty and nuanced reasoning far more than false confidence.

Section VIII

Preparation Roadmap

Phase 1: Foundation (Weeks 1–6)

Weeks 1–2: Treaty Immersion

Read the four Geneva Conventions and both Additional Protocols in full. Do not skim. Take notes on each article, focusing on obligations, protected persons, and exceptions. Complete one Convention per sitting.

Weeks 3–4: Customary IHL & Commentaries

Study the ICRC Customary IHL database — focus on the 50 most frequently invoked rules. Read the updated Commentaries on GC III and GC IV (civilian protection and detention sections). Begin building your operational situation matrix.

Weeks 5–6: IHL-IHRL Interface & Contemporary Issues

Study the ICJ Advisory Opinions and relevant judgments on IHL/IHRL interaction. Read the ICRC Interpretive Guidance on Direct Participation in Hostilities. Study ICRC position papers on autonomous weapons, cyber operations, and urban warfare.

Phase 2: Applied Knowledge (Weeks 7–12)

Weeks 7–8: Scenario Analysis Skills

Use past conflict reports (ICRC reports on Syria, Yemen, Colombia, South Sudan) as practice scenarios. For each factual situation, identify the applicable IHL rules, the violations, and the appropriate response for each role type.

Weeks 9–10: Mock Simulations (Internal)

Run your first mock simulations with teammates and coaches playing actors. Start with simple scenarios (single-issue, one party) and gradually increase complexity (multi-issue, multiple parties, time pressure).

Weeks 11–12: Role Specialisation & Written Exercises

Practice each role type. Write mock legal memoranda, draft ICRC communications, prepare press statements. Time these exercises to build speed and conciseness.

Phase 3: Competition Readiness (Weeks 13–18)

Weeks 13–14: Scenario Brief Analysis

When the scenario brief is released, conduct deep analysis. Map every IHL issue. Research real-world parallels. Build your Operational Briefing Book and Quick Reference Sheet.

Weeks 15–16: High-Pressure Mock Simulations

Run full-day simulations with external evaluators if possible. Introduce unexpected developments mid-simulation. Practice transitions between roles. Debrief after each exercise.

Weeks 17–18: Final Refinement

Polish team coordination protocols. Refine your Briefing Book. Run rapid-fire scenario drills (5-minute bursts). Focus on communication clarity, composure under pressure, and filling any knowledge gaps identified in mock simulations.

Section IX

Recommended Resources

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Core Treaties

Geneva Conventions I–IV (1949), Additional Protocols I–III, Hague Regulations (1907), Convention on Certain Conventional Weapons, Ottawa Convention, Convention on Cluster Munitions.

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Essential Books

Sassòli, Bouvier & Quintin — How Does Law Protect in War? (ICRC, 4th ed.); Dinstein — The Conduct of Hostilities under the Law of International Armed Conflict; Solis — The Law of Armed Conflict; Fleck (ed.) — The Handbook of International Humanitarian Law.

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Databases

ICRC IHL Database (ihl-databases.icrc.org), ICRC Customary IHL Database, ICRC Casebook (casebook.icrc.org), Lexsitus (Rome Statute commentary with IHL cross-references), RULAC (Rule of Law in Armed Conflict) portal.

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Journals & Periodicals

International Review of the Red Cross, Journal of International Criminal Justice, Yearbook of International Humanitarian Law, EJIL, Leiden Journal of International Law.

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ICRC Resources

ICRC Commentaries on the Geneva Conventions (updated editions), ICRC Annual Reports, Interpretive Guidance on DPH, ICRC Position Papers on emerging IHL issues, ICRC How Does Law Protect in War? online modules.

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Multimedia

ICRC Humanitarian Law & Policy blog, Intercross podcast, Asser Institute IHL talks, ICRC YouTube channel (operational videos), Geneva Academy online IHL courses.

Section X

Career Impact

The Jean Pictet Competition opens career pathways that no other moot can. Its emphasis on operational IHL application, humanitarian negotiation, and field-readiness makes it the premier credential for careers in humanitarian law and protection.

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ICRC & Red Cross/Red Crescent

The ICRC actively recruits Pictet alumni. Roles include legal adviser, protection delegate, detention delegate, and head of delegation. National Red Cross/Red Crescent Societies also value Pictet experience for IHL dissemination and advocacy roles.

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United Nations

OCHA, UNHCR, UNICEF, DPKO (peacekeeping), and the Office of the UN High Commissioner for Human Rights recruit candidates with operational IHL knowledge. Pictet experience demonstrates field readiness.

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International Criminal Tribunals

The ICC, ICTY/MICT, IRMCT, and ad hoc tribunals value IHL expertise. Legal officers, trial lawyers, and investigators in international criminal proceedings regularly apply the same IHL frameworks tested in Pictet.

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Military Legal Advisory

Military Judge Advocate General (JAG) corps and operational law positions in armed forces value Pictet training. The legal adviser role practiced in Pictet is the actual job description for military operational lawyers.

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Academia & Think Tanks

IHL-focused LLM programmes at Geneva, Leiden, Melbourne, and the Geneva Academy actively seek Pictet alumni. Research centres like the Asser Institute, ICRC, and DCAF offer research positions in IHL and policy.

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Humanitarian NGOs

MSF, Médecins du Monde, the International Crisis Group, Human Rights Watch, and Amnesty International recruit for protection, advocacy, and legal analysis roles where IHL expertise is essential.

Section XI

Frequently Asked Questions

Fundamentally different. There are no memorials, no oral pleadings, no courtroom. Instead, you participate in a multi-day, live-action roleplay where a fictional armed conflict unfolds around you. You interact with actors playing military commanders, civilians, journalists, and humanitarian workers. You apply IHL in real time, on your feet, without notes, in physically immersive settings. It is closer to a military field exercise than a legal competition.

Yes, but you do not need to be an expert to begin preparing. The competition requires solid knowledge of the Geneva Conventions, Additional Protocols, and customary IHL. A one-semester course in IHL or the law of armed conflict is a strong foundation. The preparation process itself will deepen your knowledge significantly. Teams that start with zero IHL background and try to learn everything in a few weeks consistently struggle.

Moderately. The competition involves walking through outdoor terrain, sometimes in challenging weather, over multiple days. You will be on your feet for extended periods. Some scenario phases take place in the evening or early morning. Basic physical fitness and appropriate outdoor clothing/footwear are important. It is not an extreme endurance event, but it is not a conference room exercise either.

Qualification varies by region. Many regions hold national or regional qualifying rounds organised by local Red Cross/Red Crescent Societies or partner universities. The international competition (Concours International) selects teams from these qualifiers. Check the official Jean Pictet website and your regional ICRC delegation for specific qualification pathways in your area.

Some past scenario briefs circulate among previous participants and coaching networks. However, the organisers design new scenarios each year, so memorising past scenarios is not useful. What is useful is analysing past scenarios to identify recurring IHL issues and practising the analytical methodology: reading a factual situation, classifying the conflict, identifying applicable rules, and formulating appropriate responses for different roles.

Evaluators understand that participants are students. A single factual error will not disqualify you. What matters is how you handle uncertainty: do you acknowledge the complexity? Do you correct yourself if you realise the error? Do you fall back on fundamental principles when unsure of specific rules? A team that demonstrates strong legal reasoning and honest engagement with difficulty will always outscore a team that states incorrect law with false confidence.

The international competition is primarily conducted in French and English, with teams competing in their preferred language. Regional qualifiers may be conducted in other languages depending on the host country. Strong communication skills in your chosen language are essential — the ability to articulate complex IHL concepts clearly under pressure is a core scoring criterion.

Section XII

Final Word: The Pictet Spirit

The Competition That Changes How You See the Law

Jean Pictet himself wrote: “International humanitarian law does not pretend to make war humane. It merely tries to limit the suffering caused by war.” This is the spirit of the competition that bears his name. It does not test your ability to craft elegant legal arguments in the comfort of a courtroom. It tests whether you can bring the protective power of the law to bear in the most chaotic, pressured, morally complex situations that humanity creates.

The Pictet Competition will challenge you in ways that no other academic exercise can. You will stand in a field and tell a military commander that his planned operation is unlawful. You will sit across from a detainee and try to ensure their humane treatment. You will draft a press statement about civilian casualties while the next scenario phase is already unfolding. You will discover, in the most visceral way possible, whether you truly understand the law well enough to apply it when it matters most.

If you approach this competition with seriousness, humility, and genuine commitment to the humanitarian purpose of IHL, you will emerge transformed — not just as a law student, but as a future practitioner who understands that international humanitarian law is not an abstraction. It is the difference between life and death for millions of people caught in armed conflict. Carry that understanding with you, and the Pictet Competition will be the most valuable experience of your legal education.