Sari Kouvo

Senior Lecturer

Department of Law

Telephone

+46 31-786 34 81

+46 766-18 34 81

Mail

sari.kouvo@law.gu.se

Visiting address

Vasagatan 1

41124 Göteborg

Room number

C518

Postal address

Box 650

40530 Göteborg

About Sari Kouvo

Reader in international law, interested in the crossroads between international law, geopolitics and conflict. Throughout my career, I have combined academic, policy and field work relevant to international law, peace and conflict, including human rights and humanitarian law. Autumn 2025, I returned to the Department of Law, after four years with the European External Action Service where I was responsible for climate and security and EU Sahel policy. My previous engagements include, co-director of Afghanistan Analysts Network, policy officer at the European External Action Service, head of program at the International Centre for Transitional Justice, adviser to the EU Special Representative for Afghanistan and lecturing at the Vrije Universiteit Brussel, Kent University, Birkbeck University and Gothenburg university. I have held visiting fellowships at the NATO Defense College (Italy), Kent University (UK), Abo Academy (Finland), the Australian National University and the Universite Libre de Bruxelles.

I have published extensively on international law, especially human rights, humanitarian law and international criminal law, and gender-related subjects, as well as on Afghanistan and EU crisis management.

On other web sites

Research areas

International law, human rights, transitional justice, gender and law, preparedness and crisis management, EU, Afghanistan

Teaching areas

International law (especially human rights, humanitarian law, refugee law and international criminal law), conflict and crisis management (especially EU and Afghanistan), equality and non-discrimination law and legal theory

Selected publications

Kouvo, S., & Motha, S. (2025). The New Brutalism in Law, State and Territory: Trump and Taliban 2.0 Amidst Climate Catastrophes. Law, Culture and the Humanities, 0(0). https://doi.org/10.1177/17438721251352085

Kouvo, S. (2021). Teaching International Law in Times of Change and Crisis, Nordic Journal on Law and Society, 4(03). https://doi.org/10.36368/njolas.v4i03.158

Kouvo, S & Levine, C. (2016) Law as a Placeholder for Change? Women’s Rights and Realities in Afghanistan In The Public Law of Gender, edited by Kim Rubenstein and Katharine G Young. Cambridge : Cambridge University Press.

Gossman, P. & Kouvo, S. (2013). Tell Us How this Ends. Transitional Justice and Prospects of Peace in Afghanistan. Special Report. Afghanistan Analysts Network.

Kouvo, S & Mazoori, D. (2011) Field Notes: Reconciliation, Justice and Mobilization of War Victims in Afghanistan International Journal of Transitional Justice, 5:3, s. 492-503.