Nils Melzer

Professor Nils Melzer is an expert, author and practitioner in the field of international law. Since 1 November 2016, Melzer serves as the United Nations Special Rapporteur on Torture and other Cruel, Inhuman or Degrading Treatment or Punishment after Juan E. Méndez. He is Professor of International Law at the University of Glasgow, and also holds the Human Rights Chair at the Geneva Academy of International Humanitarian Law and Human Rights in Switzerland, where he has been teaching since 2009, including as the Swiss Chair of International Humanitarian Law (2011-2013). Melzer has previously served for 12 years with the International Committee of the Red Cross (ICRC) as Delegate, Deputy Head of Delegation and Legal Adviser in various zones of conflict and violence. After leaving the ICRC, Melzer held academic positions as Research Director of the Swiss Competence Centre on Human Rights (University of Zürich), as Senior Fellow and Senior Advisor on Emerging Security Challenges (Geneva Centre for Security Policy) and at the Geneva Academy. He has also served as Senior Adviser for Security Policy at the Political Directorate of the Swiss Federal Department of Foreign Affairs. Melzer has authored award-winning and widely translated books, including: "Targeted Killing in International Law" (Oxford, 2008), the ICRC's "Interpretive Guidance on the Notion of Direct Participation in Hostilities" (ICRC, 2009) and, most recently, the ICRC's Handbook "International Humanitarian Law - a Comprehensive Introduction" (ICRC, 2016). He is also a co-author of the NATO CCDCOE "Tallinn Manual on the International Law applicable to Cyber Warfare" (Cambridge, 2013), and of the NATO MCDC "Policy Guidance: Autonomy in Defence Systems", (NATO ACT, 2014).

Education and career

Melzer graduated summa cum laude from the University of Zürich with a PhD degree in law.^[1][2]

Published works

Selected publications

• “Targeted Killing in International Law” (Oxford: University Press, 2008).
• “Interpretive Guidance on the Notion of Direct Participation in Hostilities under International Humanitarian Law” (Geneva: ICRC, 2009).
• "Cyberwarfare and International Law" (Geneva: UNIDIR, 2011)
• With Hans-Peter Gasser: "Humanitäres Völkerrecht – Eine Einführung", 2nd ed. (Zürich: Schulthess, 2012).
• With Michael N. Schmitt (ed.) et al., “Tallinn Manual on the International Law Applicable to Cyber Warfare” (Cambridge: University Press, 2013).
• “International Humanitarian Law - a Comprehensive Introduction” (Geneva: ICRC, 2016).

References