Our Experience 2025
​In 2025, the Observatory on Human Rights at the United Nations proudly participated in the Jean-Pictet Competition with two teams — one anglophone and one francophone — marking an important milestone in the development of its experiential learning program in international humanitarian law. This dual participation reflected the Observatory’s long-term commitment to preparing students for rigorous, ethically grounded, and practice-oriented engagement with humanitarian law in complex and demanding contexts.
Both teams were prepared under the academic supervision of Professor Pascale Fournier, Head of the Observatory, and Nathan Reyes, and benefited from the support of a strong mentorship network. The preparation process included intensive training sessions, case analyses, moot court exercises, and simulations supported by external judges and the International Committee of the Red Cross. Their expertise, rigour, and commitment greatly enhanced the educational and professional value of the teams’ preparation.
Our Anglophone Team in Bali, Indonesia
​
From February 22 to March 1, 2025, the anglophone team proudly represented the Observatory at the Jean Pictet Competition in Denpasar, Bali, Indonesia. The team was composed of Stéphanie St-Jacques - Leader of the 2024-2025 cohort, Clara Byk Giroux - former Leader and now Mentor at the Observatory for the Jean-Pictet Competition, and Simona Lombardo - Senior Advisor, Communications & Outreach (from left to right).
As the only Canadian teamamong 49 participating teams, they distinguished themselves through professionalism, integrity and a strong collaborative spirit. Throughout the week, the team engaged in immersive armed-conflict simulations, applying international humanitarian law (IHL) in highly realistic scenarios and demonstrating the Observatory’s conviction that law is not only studied, but lived, argued, and practiced in concrete situatons affecting vulnerable populations.
Their achievement was also highlighted by the Faculty of Law, Civil Law Section, of the University of Ottawa, which published a feature on the team’s outstanding return to the prestigious Jean-Pictet Competition.
Our Francophone Team in Antalya, Turkey
​
From February 8 to 15, 2025, the francophone team representing the Observatory participated in the French-speaking edition of the Jean Pictet Competition in Antalya, Türkiye. The team was composed of Christian Mpabwa - former Leader and now Mentor at the Observatory for the Jean-Pictet Competition, Raphaël Grenier-Benoît - Collaborator at the Observatory, and Dr. Coline Moreau - now Head of Research, Academic Training and Supervision (from left to right).
Selected from 20 francophone teams, the team demonstrated exceptional analytical rigour, intellectual curiosity, and a commitment to humanitarian principles through demanding, realistic simulations. Their work reflected both technical excellence and ethical sensitivity in complex operational contexts.
​
In particular, Dr. Coline Moreau distinguished herself by ranking among the top three oralists and becoming a finalist for the prestigious Gilbert-Apollis Prize.
Beyond technical legal skills, the 2025 Jean-Pictet experience fostered resilience, ethical judgment, collaborative leadership, and a deepened awareness of the human consequences of armed conflict. Through this dual anglophone and francophone participation, the Observatory strengthened its institutional expertise, reinforced its mentorship model, and consolidated its commitment to experiential legal education. This experience also contributed to the transmission of knowledge, practices, and values from one generation of students to the next, ensuring the continuity and growth of the Jean-Pictet program within the Observatory.​
Building on this 2025 experience, the Civil Law Section and the Observatory continue to prepare future cohorts for participation in the Jean-Pictet Competition, guided by the same commitment to rigour, solidarity, and service to human dignity. Each year’s participation contributes to a growing institutional memory that supports long-term excellence in humanitarian law and leadership development.