Pakistan College of Law students make history at the 2025 Jean Pictet Competition

The International Committee of the Red Cross (ICRC)’s Jean Pictet Competition, also known as the Concours Pictet, is an annual event that focuses on international humanitarian law by bringing together students and young professionals from around the world. It provides unique training to students with the objective to "take law out of the books". This year it was held in Bali, Indonesia, from 22 February to 1 March 2025.

It was a transformative experience for our all-female team, comprising Eman Hassan, Nida Tanvir, and Maleeka Nasir. We proudly represented Pakistan and our institution Pakistan College of Law, at the 47th edition of the Pictet Competition. Our journey started in October 2024, when Pakistan College of Law shortlisted us to apply for the competition.

There was a rigorous selection stage which involved submitting our CVs and written responses to assigned questions on international humanitarian law, particularly the developing areas. From a large pool of teams that applied from around the globe, our team was selected for the first phase of the competition.

As we embarked on this journey, we were filled with a mixture of excitement and nerves. This competition is renowned for its rigorous simulations and challenging scenarios. This was completely different to the conventional moots that we all had participated in previously: it tested our ability to apply the law to various conflict scenarios.

From the outset, we were immersed in a simulated environment that mimicked potential situations triggering application of international humanitarian law. The scenarios required us to respond quickly to the changing conflict-related circumstances by making the most of our prior knowledge and understanding of the law.

During our preparation phase, the whole team was involved in an intense study of international humanitarian law, which was a completely new subject for us. Despite all three of our team members having exposure to international law (through moots), we still had to build upon our understanding of the concepts from scratch. The only way to manage this preparation along with our classes was to stay back at College after our classes in order to get a thorough understanding of the law of war. 

The competition hosted almost 40 teams from all around the world, including teams from diverse postgraduate and doctoral programmes. Being one of the youngest teams made us more determined to work harder and perform well. As the competition formally commenced, the teams were divided into two groups of 20 teams.

During the preliminary rounds over four days, we competed against the teams in our group. We were tasked with responding to intricate scenarios, negotiating with other teams, and advocating for the stance that favoured our party's interests. We were thrown into the most unexpected situations where we had to act immediately and come up with spontaneous solutions. Each round was so different from the previous one that it did not allow us to get into a comfort zone. Every round was designed to challenge us to experience something new, yet exciting. The nerves were real!

We cannot forget the numerous times we had to rush to be on 'Pictet time', which meant being punctual. In one memorable instance, we had to run up and down five flights of stairs to get to our designated room, as the elevators were occupied. This happened during the field test where we were posing as ICRC delegates and visited a detention centre, a child re-education camp, and a court established by the belligerents. We got to experience our creative side when we made first aid kits, band aids, and medicines with just a piece of paper that we had while we were locked in a room as part of the test. 

At the end of these four days, we were thrilled to be one of five teams from our group to progress to the semi-finals. In the semi-finals, every team was directly up against the jury, who chose one team from each group to compete in the finals. Emerging as winners of our group, we found ourselves being chosen for the finals!

When we heard the news, we were shocked, excited, relieved, grateful; every emotion was at its peak. It was at that moment when we realised how our hard work was paying off as we had made it to the top two. The cherry on top was that we were up against another team from Pakistan. As pointed out by the Administrator of Jean Pictet, Christophe Lanord, this was a first in the history of this competition. It was a matter of great honour and pride for us. We found ourselves in front of a finals grand jury in a simulation of the ICC (International Criminal Court). The thrilling arguments and intense questioning added to the overall great experience of being finalists. 

Throughout the competition, we had the opportunity to engage with participants from diverse backgrounds and cultures. We formed lasting bonds with teams from around the world, sharing experiences, and learning from one another. The competition fostered a sense of global community, underscoring the importance of collaboration and cooperation in addressing humanitarian challenges. 

Apart from the tests and competitions, we were also taken on a trip to the Tanah Lot temple in Bali. This was a great treat for us as we barely had time to explore Bali amidst the hectic rounds. Although it was humid, the views were mesmerising. Watching the sunset, at the beach, with friends was all that we needed to gear up for the next day.

The Jean Pictet Competition was more than just a simulation – it was a journey of self-discovery, growth, and learning. We returned home with a deeper understanding of international humanitarian law, enhanced skills, and a bundle of unforgettable memories. We took the Pictet message before every round a little too seriously: compete and enjoy. That's all we did. And, it was indeed worth it.

We were finalists, but more than that, we are honoured to now be included in the 'Directory of Picteists', which includes 2,900 alumni of the Pictet Competition held over so many years.

Eman Hassan is a final-year student of the University of London LLB at Pakistan College of Law. She is also the current Editor in Chief of the Legal Education Access Portal.

Nida Tanvir is a final year student of the University of London LLB at Pakistan College of Law. She is also the current President of the PCL Mooting Society.

Maleeka Nasir is a second-year student of the University of London LLB at Pakistan College of Law. She is also the current Vice-President of the PCL Mooting Society.