Description: Session 1 will serve as an introduction to BHR and review the course content as well as course requirements and assessment. Overall, it will map students’ previous knowledge of BHR. Reading (you may do the reading after class on this occasion): None Assignments/deadlines: None

Description: Session 2 will explore origins and development of BHR. Reading: • Muchlinski, P. (2022). Advanced Introduction to Business and Human Rights, Edward Elgar, ch.1 • Wettstein, F. (2022). Business and Human rights: Ethical, Legal, and Managerial perspectives. CUP, ch. 2 • Bernaz, N. (2016). Business and Human Rights: History, Law and Policy – Bridging the Accountability Gap. Oxon, NY: Routledge, Chs. 3-4-5. Assignments/deadlines: None

Description: Session 3 will provide an overview of human rights violations in the conduct of businesses (direct-indirect violations, and various sources/causes of these violations) Reading: • Muchlinski, P. (2022). Advanced Introduction to Business and Human Rights, Edward Elgar, ch.1 • Wettstein, F. (2022). Business and Human rights: Ethical, Legal, and Managerial perspectives. CUP, ch. 5 • Bernaz, N. (2016). Business and Human Rights: History, Law and Policy – Bridging the Accountability Gap. Oxon, NY: Routledge, chs. 5. Assignments/deadlines: None

Description: Session 4 will discuss the nature and extent of corporate human rights responsibility. Overall, it will discuss the arguments in favor of and against extending human rights to the corporate sector and the scope for making human rights regulatory measures for corporate behavior. Reading: • Muchlinski, P. (2022). Advanced Introduction to Business and Human Rights, Edward Elgar, ch.2 • Wettstein, F. (2022). Business and Human rights: Ethical, Legal, and Managerial perspectives. CUP, ch. 6-7. • Bernaz, N. (2016). Business and Human Rights: History, Law and Policy – Bridging the Accountability Gap. Oxon, NY: Routledge, chs. 6 Assignments/deadlines: None

Description: Session 5 will discuss the operationalization and implementation of human rights responsibility at the corporate level. In particular, it will focus on the impact of human rights due diligence in theory and practice, discuss challenges to its fuller implementation and provide critique of the due diligence concept. Reading: • Wettstein, F. (2022). Business and Human rights: Ethical, Legal, and Managerial perspectives. CUP, ch. 8 Assignments/deadlines: ASSIGNMENT 1 - Research Essays

Description: Session 6 will zoom in on the UN business and human rights framework. In particular, it will discuss the foundations and provide an overview of the pillars of the UN Guiding Principles on BHR. Reading: • Muchlinski, P. (2022). Advanced Introduction to Business and Human Rights, Edward Elgar, ch.3 • Wettstein, F. (2022). Business and Human rights: Ethical, Legal, and Managerial perspectives. CUP, ch. 6-7. Assignments/deadlines: None

Description: Session 7 will cover the first pillar of the UN Guiding Principles on BHR – the state duty to protect human rights, focusing on how the duty is integrated within different human rights treaties. Reading: • Muchlinski, P. (2022). Advanced Introduction to Business and Human Rights, Edward Elgar, ch.4 • Wettstein, F. (2022). Business and Human rights: Ethical, Legal, and Managerial perspectives. CUP, ch. 10. Assignments/deadlines: None

Mid-term break. No Class

Description: Session 8 will cover the second pillar of the UN Guiding Principles on BHR – the corporate responsibility to respect human rights, focusing on how this responsibility is incorporated across different human rights treaties. Reading: • Muchlinski, P. (2022). Advanced Introduction to Business and Human Rights, Edward Elgar, ch.5 • Wettstein, F. (2022). Business and Human rights: Ethical, Legal, and Managerial perspectives. CUP, ch. 10. Assignments/deadlines: None

Description: Session 9 will explore the third pillar of the UN Guiding Principles on Business and Human Rights – access to remedy, with a specific focus on how this right is enshrined within various human rights treaties. Reading: • Muchlinski, P. (2022). Advanced Introduction to Business and Human Rights, Edward Elgar, ch.6 • Wettstein, F. (2022). Business and Human rights: Ethical, Legal, and Managerial perspectives. CUP, ch. 10. Assignments/deadlines: None

Description: Session 10 will cover other international soft-law initiatives on BHR including the OECD Guidelines for Multinational Enterprises and the UN Global Compact. It will also discuss the prospects for a binding treaty on BHR. Reading: • Wettstein, F. (2022). Business and Human rights: Ethical, Legal, and Managerial perspectives. CUP, ch. 11 • Bernaz, N. (2016). Business and Human Rights: History, Law and Policy – Bridging the Accountability Gap. Oxon, NY: Routledge, ch. 7 Assignments/deadlines: None

Description: Session 11 will focus on emerging discussions on BHR. Topics to be covered will include climate change and BHR, gender perspectives and BHR, the role of NGOs in BHR and BHR in post-conflict processes. Reading: • Wettstein, F. (2022). Business and Human rights: Ethical, Legal, and Managerial perspectives. CUP, ch. 15 • Jae-Eun Noh. “The role of NGOs in building CSR discourse around human rights in developing countries” Cosmopolitan Civil Societies: An Interdisciplinary Journal 9.1 (2017): 1-19. • David Murphy and Jem Bendell (1999) Partners in time? Business, NGOs and sustainable development. UNRISD Discussion Paper Volume 109. United Nations Research Institute for Social Development (UNRISD), Geneva, Switzerland. Assignments/deadlines: None

Description: Student presentations. Reading: none Assignments/deadlines: ASSIGNMENT II – Student Presentations

Description: Student presentations. Reading: none Assignments/deadlines: ASSIGNMENT II – Student Presentations

Description: The final exam. It will also serve as a review session. Reading: None Assignments/deadlines: