This seminar course is designed to help students understand the human rights standards and responsibilities – legal and moral - that affect business and the remedies available to human rights advocates seeking to influence corporate policies and practices. It also encourages participants to consider how human rights can guide corporate decision-making by exploring current best practices among corporate human rights initiatives.

The phenomena of globalisation and human rights are two of the most influential features of international relations in the twenty-first century. This course will examine      the ways in which these two spheres intersect and diverge, interrogating the extent to which their goals are contradictory and/ or mutually supporting.  

Awareness of the increasing power of transnational corporation’s vis-à-vis the States in which they operate as well as the impact that business can have on human rights – positive and negative – is raising the volume on calls for businesses to respect human rights. Human rights advocates have shined a spotlight on human rights conditions in a wide range of transnational industries including oil and mining; the manufacturing of apparel, carpets, footwear, sporting goods, and toys; the agricultural production of coffee, tea, cocoa and bananas for global markets; and the pharmaceutical and other high technology sectors.

The abuses at issue include complicity with governments that violate human rights, child and forced labour, limits on freedom of association, and dangerous and unhealthy conditions for workers and communities. During the same period, business and human rights has emerged as a distinct field within the broader corporate responsibility movement. In response to growing pressure to address human rights issues, transnational companies have undertaken human rights initiatives that seek to manage human rights risks, and in some cases, promote human rights as a source of competitive advantage in the marketplace. This seminar analyses the challenges and opportunities that arise for advocates and business managers at the intersection of business operations and efforts to promote international human rights.

Business and human rights is a constantly evolving field. Accordingly, students are encouraged to follow recent and emerging developments in the field at the resources provided in the reading guide.