.com

With less than 10 years left to achieve the 2030 Agenda for Sustainable Development, the law and lawyers have critical roles to play in driving progress under the United Nations Guiding Principles on Business and Human Rights (UNGPs) and toward the UN Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs).

The private sector is increasingly integrating the SDGs into their business practice in order to better manage their risks, build positions in growth markets, and strengthen their supply chains. As companies seek advice about the legal and regulatory implications of aligning themselves with the goals, the UNGPs and the SDGs are fast becoming emerging areas of practice in which lawyers are requested to provide responsible advice to their corporate clients.

Why is this Course useful?

Lawyers should be aware of the core concepts and principles established by the UNGPs and understand international human rights principles and how they relate to businesses’ operations and play a vital role in helping businesses avoid involvement in human rights violations. Law firms are increasingly finding that their business clients seek and require legal advice on the human rights aspects of their transactions and activities to identify and mitigate risks, comply with international and national regulations, and promote their visibility as ethical businesses.

This situation presents a challenge to business lawyers who are required to understand and integrate human rights into their current representation and advisory services. It also presents an opportunity to expand the scope of advice and develop new services in light of the growing expectation that businesses respect human rights throughout their operations.

The Course provides lawyers with an in-depth understanding of the latest issues at the nexus of law and sustainable development, the human rights impacts resulting from business activities at the international, regional, and national levels, and how to carry out a corporate human rights due diligence process.

Upon completion of the Course, the participants should be able to: demonstrate a thorough knowledge of human rights standards and how they apply to companies and the challenges they face; understand the need for corporate due diligence and identify processes and approaches for undertaking it; and develop due diligence assessment methods and tools companies can use in order to ensure respect for human rights.