Business and Human Rights: Reading Group
Spring term, Block H
M 5:00 PM - 7:00 PM
Visiting Professor Jamie O'Connell
1 classroom credit LAW-31495A
International human rights norms traditionally have constrained the behavior only of states, not of private actors. However, a growing number of activists, academics, politicians, and businesspeople themselves believe that private, for-profit enterprises must respect at least some human rights. Opinion on the extent and nature of businesses' responsibilities varies widely, and some maintain the traditional view that human rights are inapplicable.
This reading group will explore both overarching questions in this emerging field and issues particular to certain industries or contexts. The former include whether businesses should devote attention to human rights issues, what legal and business considerations should guide them, and how much they really can influence human rights conditions. We will examine the latter through case studies on such topics as extractive industries, operating in the midst of war, addressing corruption, and respecting labor rights. For example, the international outcry over Shell Oil's failure to stop the 1995 execution of community activists by the Nigerian government, and Shell's subsequent overhaul of its human rights policies, illuminate a number of problems that oil companies often face.