Andrew Clapham and Paola Gaeta dedicate the Antonio Cassese class room.

On 23 April, the Geneva Academy of International Humanitarian Law and Human Rights held an event to honour the recently deceased Antonio Cassese, who is considered to be the father of modern international criminal law.

The event included the launching of the last edited book by Antonio Cassese entitled Realizing Utopia: The Future of International Law to which Institute professors Pierre-Marie Dupuy, Paola Gaeta, Andrew Clapham and Jorge Viñuales contributed several essays.

At the event, co-Directors of the Geneva Academy Andrew Clapham and Paola Gaeta with Institute Emeritus Professor Georges Abi-Saab dedicated a class room in the Academy’s Villa Moynier to Antonio Cassese and unveiled a plaque marking the room with his name. The Villa Moynier once belonged to Gustave Moynier, one of the founders of the International Committee of the Red Cross and the first lawyer who put forth the idea of an International Criminal Court.

During the evening, Paola Gaeta announced the launching of the Antonio Cassese Initiative for Justice, Peace and Humanity that will bring together a network of friends and admirers of the man in order to promote education and training in developing countries.

The Geneva Academy of International Humanitarian Law and Human Rights was founded by the Graduate Institute and the University of Geneva.