The Massive Open Online Courses (MOOC) on Business and Human Rights is FREE and open to participants from all over the world who are actively interested and engaged in business and human rights work and wish to gain a multidimensional understanding of current developments, key issues and possibilities for transformation.
The course runs from Monday 23rd May 2022 to Sunday 26th June 2022, with free enrolment until Sunday 12th June 2022.
The Massive Open Online Courses are provided by the Global Campus of Human Rights, an inter-disciplinary centre of excellence supported by the European Union. The organisation strives to promote human rights and democratisation through higher education, specialised training programmes, research and outreach. It has global presence. with offices in 7 regions of the world: Africa, Arab World, Asia-Pacific, Caucasus, Europe, Latin America and Caribbean, and South East Europe.
The MOOC aims to be relevant for businesses themselves, state representatives, grassroot organisations working on business related issues, workers and ordinary citizens who wish to inspire a transformation in the way business and human rights relate to each other.
The course for participants (businesses, state representatives, grassroots organisations working on business related issues, workers and ordinary citizens) around the world who are actively interested and engaged in business and human rights work and wish to gain a multidimensional understanding of current developments, key issues and possibilities for transformation.
The programme looks at international standards and principles as well as regional and national practices. In particular, it focuses on the links between business and human rights defenders, case-law, due diligence and children’s rights protection in this area.
Outcomes
Upon completion of the course participants will have gained:
o A knowledge about key standards, documents and approaches.
o An understanding of progress and obstacles in terms of more viable cooperation, from the point of view of companies, states and affected rights-holders
o An ability to identify multi-faceted aspects (pros and cons of each side of the matter), and
o Capacity to discuss specific areas and groups/cases of concern.
Modules
o Module 1: focuses on the general international framework on the relation between business and human rights. In particular, it summarily explains standards, mechanisms, benefits and challenges in the current set up, especially at the United Nations and regional level. Specific attention will be paid to the UN Guiding Principles, the UN Global Compact, and other recent initiatives, examples and practices.
o Module 2: Is dedicated to specific themes of pressing value: the protection of human rights defenders working on business-related abuses; the case-law emerging from recent developments; corporate responsibility to respect human rights and the development of legislation on mandatory due diligence; the challenges of intersectionality and in particular the rights of children in relation to business practices. In so doing, the course analyses the links with the international framework and provides examples from different regional areas.
Benefits
At the end of the course, participants who have successfully completed all discussions and quizzes will receive a free certificate confirming their participation.
For further information about the course, including a YouTube vide about the Massive Open Online Courses (MOOC) and details about how to enrol, please visit the Global Campus of Human Rights website.
