Dr Marco Longobardo awarded Honourable Mention by American Society of International Law’s Francis Lieber Prize

The Francis Lieber Prize is awarded annually by the American Society of International Law’s Lieber Society on the Law of Armed Conflict to the author of an exceptional work in the field of law and armed conflict. It is considered one of the most important prizes in the field of the law of armed conflict worldwide.

Dr Longobardo was awarded an Honourable Mention for his paper titled The Duties of Occupying Powers in Relation to the Prevention and Control of Contagious Diseases through the interplay between International Humanitarian Law and the Right to Health. It is published in the Vanderbilt Journal of Transnational Law and explores the rules governing the prevention and control of contagious diseases in occupied territory under international law.

Speaking about how it feels to have been recognised by the American Society of International Law, Dr Longobardo said: "I'm extremely happy to receive this honourable mention for research that sheds light on the responsibilities of occupying powers for contagious diseases. The research started as an analysis of obligations regarding COVID-19, but soon led me to an intellectual trip over a century of occupations and contagious diseases. I hope that the visibility provided by the honourable mention will help disseminate my findings about what occupying powers must do to protect civilians from these diseases."

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