MVV420K Humanitarian Assistance within the European Union

Faculty of Law
Spring 2025
Extent and Intensity
0/1/0. 3 credit(s). Type of Completion: k (colloquium).
In-person direct teaching
Teacher(s)
dr Magdalena Kun-Buczko (lecturer), doc. JUDr. Tereza Kyselovská, Ph.D. (deputy)
Guaranteed by
doc. JUDr. Tereza Kyselovská, Ph.D.
Faculty of Law
Contact Person: Mgr. Věra Redrupová, B.A.
Supplier department: Faculty of Law
Timetable of Seminar Groups
MVV420K/01: Tue 25. 3. 18:00–19:40 041, Wed 26. 3. 18:00–19:40 041, Thu 27. 3. 8:00–9:40 041, 18:00–19:40 041, Fri 28. 3. 8:00–9:40 041
Course Enrolment Limitations
The course is only offered to the students of the study fields the course is directly associated with.

The capacity limit for the course is 30 student(s).
Current registration and enrolment status: enrolled: 30/30, only registered: 0/30
fields of study / plans the course is directly associated with
there are 59 fields of study the course is directly associated with, display
Course objectives
Humanitarian aid is a multi-faceted and multifaceted activity whose main objective is to help victims of natural disasters and armed conflicts. There is no uniform legal basis for the provision of humanitarian aid. For operations during armed conflict, the international community has developed a number of legal norms within the framework of International Humanitarian Law, whereas for operations during peacetime, no such regulations have yet been developed. All relief operations must, in all circumstances, be carried out in accordance with certain principles, including humanity, impartiality and the principle of sovereignty. Among humanitarian actors, the EU is the largest donor, and without its own dedicated structures, the EU finances the majority of humanitarian activities through special agreements.
Learning outcomes
At the end of the course, students should be able to:
- define humanitarian assistance, its principles and legal basis of provision
- understand the differences between humanitarian assistance and humanitarian intervention
- podać prtzykłady of subjects involved in humanitarian assistance operations
- describe the EU system of humanitarian assistance structures and explain the scope of their tasks
- understand the legal scope character prawny of the Framework partners agreements…
- describe and discuss about the main current problems with humanitarian assistance oparetaions.
Syllabus
  • 1. Humanitarian actions in present world
  • - definition of humanitarian assistance
  • - humanitarian assistance v. other forms of humanitarian actions
  • - reasons for the humanitarian actions provisions
  • - subjects engaged
  • - humanitarian actions and use of force
  • 2. Humanitarian Assistance
  • - principles of providing
  • - legal basis of actions
  • - subjects involved
  • - beneficiaries
  • 3. Humanitarian assistance and UE practice, structures and mechanisms of action
  • - ECHO- European Community Humanitarian Office
  • - European Civil Protection and Humanitarian Aid Operations
  • - Emergency Response Coordination Centre (ERCC)
  • - rescEU
  • - European Solidarity Corps
  • 4. Framework partners agreements (FPA)- legal basis for provision of humanitarian assistance
  • - FPA with NGO’s
  • - FPA with governmental organizations
  • 5. Main current problems with humanitarian assistance operations
  • - environmental refugees
  • - security of humanitarian aid convoys.
Literature
  • See Teacher's Information for full details.
Teaching methods
Lectures, discussion, group work.
Assessment methods
choice test, 20 questions, 3 possible answers, one correct. The student passes with a minimum of 11 points.
Language of instruction
English
Further comments (probably available only in Czech)
The course is taught only once.
Teacher's information
Literature

M. Gede, Working in International Development and Humanitarian Assistance A Career Guide, Routledge, 2015

J.M. Welsh, Humanitarian Intervention and International Relations, Oxford University Press, 2004

S. K. Sharma; J. M. Welsh, The Responsibility to Prevent: Overcoming the Challenges of Atrocity Prevention, Oxford University Press, 2015

A. Comoretto Resilience in Humanitarian Aid Workers -, OmniScriptum GmbH & Co. KG, 2011

G. Heaslip, P. Tatham, Humanitarian Logistics: Meeting the Challenge of Preparing for and Responding to Disasters and Complex Emergencies, Kogan Page Ltd, 2022

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