The International Law Centre is pleased to announce
that Dr Bruce Oswald, Associate Professor and Director of the Asia
Pacific Centre for Military Law in the Melbourne Law School at the University
of Melbourne, will hold a lecture on the topic of Peacekeeping since Rwanda: Reflections of a Legal Officer’s Experience
22 years on. The lecture
will be held 5 December at 15:00-16:30 in Lejonsköldska.
In 1996 Bruce Oswald wrote an article: ‘Peacekeeping
in Rwanda – A Lawyer’s Experience’ which was published in the Australian Law
Journal. That article was based on his experiences as an Army legal adviser to
the Australian Defence Force Contingent serving in Rwanda in 1994. What has
changed in UN peacekeeping law and practice 22 years later? Bruce Oswald will
briefly discuss among other things: the protection of civilians by
peacekeepers; the rule of law industry; the accountability of peacekeepers; and
the role of military peacekeepers in post-conflict state building. He
will also speak about some of the major challenges for UN peacekeeping. His
primary focus will be on the extent to which law influences the policy and practice
of UN peacekeeping today, drawing on his research and practice since deploying
to Rwanda.
Bruce "Ossie" Oswald is an Associate
Professor and Director of the Asia Pacific Centre for Military Law in the
Melbourne Law School at the University of Melbourne. His interests in law and
practice are in the areas of international humanitarian law, peace operations,
state building, accountability and responsibility, and the application of human
rights law to military operations. More specifically, his interests are in
examining the law and practice surrounding the protection of civilians, the
taking and handling of detainees during military operations, and militias
undertaking law and order functions. Ossie has served in the Australian Regular
Army as a legal officer. He has seen operational service in Rwanda, the Former
Yugoslavia, East Timor, Iraq and Afghanistan. He has provided legal advice and
held staff appointments as a legal officer at tactical, operational and
strategic levels. During his service in Australia he provided legal advice to
the Deployable Joint Force Headquarters, Headquarters Australian Theatre,
Strategic Command and Directorate of Operations and International Law. Ossie
continues to serve in the Army Reserves as a legal officer. For his service as
the Legal Officer for the Australian Contingent serving in Rwanda, Ossie was
awarded the Conspicuous Service Cross (CSC). In 1997 Ossie worked with the
International Committee of the Red Cross in the Former Yugoslavia. Ossie was a
Jennings Randolph Senior Fellow (October 2012 - June 2013) at the United States
Institute of Peace in Washington DC, USA.
The
event will be held in English at Försvarshögskolan, Drottning Kristnas Väg 37 in Lejonsköldska at 15:00-16:30. If you are interested in attending,
email: international.law.centre@fhs.se
