Human Rights and Business

In this course we look at the responsibility of corporations towards human rights, the environment and other matters within their business activities and along their supply chains. The course will focus on the existing and emerging rules on human rights and business (BHR), and responsible business conduct (RBC). After an introduction covering the basic instruments in the field, including the OECD Guidelines for MNEs on RBC and the UN Guiding Principles on Business and Human Rights, we discuss the intersection of business in all aspects of society, with a more detailed look on human rights and current issues like climate change and mega-sporting events. At the end of the course, students will be familiar with the regulatory soft and hard law framework surrounding the topics of BHR and RBC and with the tools available to business to align their business practices with these frameworks in a responsible way. 
The course is taught by Prof. Dr. Christine Kaufmann and Ron Popper, bringing in years of experience in the field, and offering a unique learning experience, combining theory and practice.

Syllabus will be uploaded here in due time.

The class will take place on Wednesdays from 10:15 to 12:00 in room TBC, starting 16 September 2026. Class attendance is mandatory, as class is held in-person and no podcast or livestream will be made available.

All materials for the class, such as reading assignments and slides of the classes, will be uploaded to learning platform Moodle. Students have to register using the link below.
The password required for the registration will be announced in the first class on 16 September 2026.
Link to Moodle (accessible from 16 September 2026 onwards)

For the first class, students are asked to familiarise themselves with the UN Guiding Principles on Business and Human Rights (Link).

Should you have any questions about the course, do not hesitate to contact the assistants of Prof. Kaufmann during office hours.
Lst.kaufmann@ius.uzh.ch