Annyssa Bellal

Dr. Annyssa Bellal serves as Senior Researcher at the Centre on Conflict, Development and Peacebuilding, Graduate Institute of International and Development Studies, bringing 18+ years of expertise in international law and conflict studies with specialized focus on armed non-state actors. She concurrently teaches at Sciences Po Paris, University of Bern, and Geneva Academy while maintaining advisory roles spanning ICRC, UNHCR, and Swiss Department of Foreign Affairs.

Education

• PhD (summa cum laude) in Public International Law, Graduate Institute of International and Development Studies
• LLM in Philosophy of Law, University of Grenoble
• Master of Advanced Studies in International Relations, University of Geneva
• MA in Law, University of Geneva

Research Focus: Bellal's scholarship centers on Public International Law and International Humanitarian Law implementation through direct engagement with armed non-state actors in conflict zones (Syria, Iraq, DRC). Her work bridges academic rigor and policy impact, notably contributing to the International Humanitarian Customary Law Project at ICRC and UN Security Council briefings on Geneva Conventions.

Awards & Recognition

• UK Research and Innovation Fellowship
• British Foreign, Commonwealth & Development Office Fellowship
• Swiss National Science Foundation Fellowship
• McGill University Fellowship
• New York University Fellowship
• Graduate Institute Fellowship

Professional Leadership: Former Strategic Adviser on IHL at Geneva Academy; Head of ICRC's International Humanitarian Customary Law Project (2011); legal adviser for Geneva Call and Swiss Department of Foreign Affairs. Her fieldwork directly shapes humanitarian engagement strategies with non-state armed groups globally.

Research Unit: At the Centre on Conflict, Development and Peacebuilding, Bellal leads interdisciplinary initiatives examining conflict dynamics and peacebuilding mechanisms through legal, political, and social science frameworks.