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SOLM328 Sustainability and Human Rights

Module description

The module on 'Sustainability and Human Rights' explores the intersection between sustainability - a term that is classically defined as balancing economic growth, environmental care and social wellbeing - and human rights, through historical, philosophical and legal perspectives. 

This module offers an in-depth understanding of the frameworks and compliance mechanisms developed to make companies internalise sustainability and human rights concerns. 

Part I offers an historical and philosophical account of the private and public law origins of law focused on the protection of public goods, beginning with human rights and broadening more recently to the notion of sustainable development, which includes environmental concerns. 

Part II examines, contrasts and evaluates the effectiveness of three different types of recent human rights and sustainability compliance mechanism: 

  1. Social auditing of the implementation by companies of non-binding codes of conduct (eg UN Global Compact, which covers biodiversity and ocean governance, and ILO Tripartite Declaration of Principles Concerning Multinational Enterprises and Social Policy); 
  2. Enforcement of international treaties on business and human rights (eg UN Treaty on Business and Human Rights); 
  3. Use of trade law enforcement mechanisms to encourage companies to comply with human rights and environmental standards in overseas production (eg bans on imports of forced labour products, USMCA Rapid Response Mechanism, EU deforestation regulation).

Applicable groupings

Credits

15

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