Laurent Gisel is a Senior Legal Adviser and the Cyber Team Leader at the Legal Division of the International Committee of the Red Cross (ICRC) in Geneva. Laurent is the file holder for the rules governing the conduct of hostilities under international humanitarian law (IHL), including their application during urban warfare, cyber operations, and outer space operations. In particular, Laurent leads the ICRC’s work on how IHL protects civilians against the effects of cyber operations during armed conflicts.

Laurent began his career at the ICRC in 1999 and held several positions in conflict areas, in Israel and the Occupied Territories, Eritrea, Afghanistan, and as Deputy Head of Delegation in Nepal. After having served as Diplomatic Adviser to the ICRC Presidency from 2005 to 2008, Laurent worked in the ICRC Legal Division in various positions since 2008.

Prior to joining the ICRC, Laurent became attorney-at-law in Geneva and worked at the Public and Administrative Law Court of the Canton de Vaud. He holds a Degree in Law from the University of Geneva and a Masters in International Law from the Graduate Institute of International Studies (Geneva, Switzerland).