Overview

Students will study a range of issues connected with 'Business and Human Rights' including, but not limited to, the following topics:

• Why Human Rights matter to Business.
• From Corporate Ethics to Human Rights: the corporate obligations to respect human rights – a focus on the international human rights Law and the UN Guiding Principles on Business and Human Rights.
• Other international initiatives on Business and Human Rights, such as the OECD Guidelines for Multinational Enterprises, the UNGC and ISO 26000.
• Mechanisms for BHR protection: Human Rights Due Diligence and National Action Plans. -National Regulation of Business and Human Rights.
• Business and Human Rights in Practice - Practical Case studies and the role of Businesses in protecting Human Rights Defenders.
• Business and Human Rights during the pandemic - drawing lessons from Covid-19 pandemic for the future, through assessing the response of specific businesses, sectors and government actors to business and human rights concerns during the pandemic.
• Business and Human Rights - the Modern slavery concern with a focus on public contracts.
• Prospects for a Business & Human Rights Treaty.

Assessment Strategy

-threshold -C- to C+ (50-59%) • Knowledge of key areas/principles • Understands main areas • Limited evidence of background study • Answer focussed on question but also with some irrelevant material and weaknesses in structure • Arguments presented but lack coherence • Has several factual/computational errors • No original interpretation • Only major links between topics are described • Limited problem solving • Some weaknesses in presentation and accuracy.

-good -B- to B+ (60-69%) • Strong knowledge • Understands most but not all • Evidence of background study • Focussed answer with good structure • Arguments presented coherently • Mostly free of factual/computational errors • Some limited original interpretation • Well known links between topics are described • Problems addressed by existing methods/approaches • Good presentation with accurate communication.

-excellent -A- to A* (70%+) • Comprehensive knowledge • Detailed understanding • Extensive background study • Highly focussed answer and well structured • Logically presented and defended arguments • No factual/computational errors • Original interpretation • New links between topics are developed • New approach to a problem • Excellent presentation with very accurate communication

Learning Outcomes

• Compare, analyse and synthesise innovatively the principal national and international standards and initiatives relating to business and human rights to offer suggestions for improving existing national and international standards and initiatives relating to business and human rights.

• Critically analyse arguments in favour of and against extending human rights to the corporate sector, including conceptual understanding about the positive or negative impact of businesses on the enjoyment of human rights.

• Critically appraise remedial mechanisms in international and domestic legal framework for addressing corporate breaches of human rights, and examine access to remedies in business and human rights abuse cases.

• Critically assess domestic legal rules and case law on the duties of companies to respect human rights concerns.

• Demonstrate deep and critical understanding of the main sources of international and domestic legal obligations in relation to business and human rights, including relevant guiding principles, due diligence guidance, reporting standards.

• Skilfully and practically apply international and domestic legal materials, case-laws and scholarly works on business and human rights to independently solve relevant business and human rights problems.