• Explain what human rights are in a context of international law, politics, and ethics
• Explain and reflect on why business responsibilities for human rights arise against the backdrop of the international system for protection of human rights;
• Critically reflect on why and when businesses can be argued to have responsibilities for human rights and what those responsibilities are;
• Identify and critically discuss human rights issues facing business conduct in a specific case by referring to and applying the United Nations Guiding Principles for Business and Human Rights and other relevant instruments, e.g. OECD’s Guidelines for Multinational Enterprises, the UN Global Compact, codes of conduct, etc.;
• Explain the meaning of key concepts in the field of business and human rights, apply them and evaluate the implications;
• Identify and evaluate the opportunities and challenges that business responsibilities for human rights pose in a concrete case related to business conduct and formulate recommendations supported by arguments that take into account internationally recognized human rights.

The course will provide an introduction to the development of the main international political and legal arguments for the proposition that businesses have responsibility to respect human rights wherever they operate, regardless of the national legal context. As part of this, the course will cover the content of the major international soft and hard law instruments that frame political, legal and social expectations or requirements of business responsibilities for human rights, in particular the UN Guiding Principles on Business and Human Rights.