INTERNATIONAL LAW – POSTGRADUATE INTERNATIONAL STUDIES - Business and Human Rights

In today’s globalized market conditions, the international business activity has gained great importance with direct impact on human rights respect and especially the ones related to the protection of labor relationships, the environment and sustainable development. In 2015, the Human Rights Committee initiates a round of consultations "on an international legally binding instrument on transantion corporations and other businesses with respect to human rights". This conversation is based on UN’s Guiding Principles on Business and Human Rights, which emphasize the State’s obligation to protect the human rights, the Corporations’ obligation to protect the human rights, and the need to constitute judicial and non- judicial means to restore any related violations. The Guiding Principles have already been embedded in corporate social responsibility according to the EU and translate into national politics and corporate actions.

Objectives

This year's courses will attempt to join the current discussion, and get the students accustomed to principles which simultaneously happen to be objects of advanced law analysis, and field of everyday use in the current market.

Prerequisites

N/A

Syllabus

International protection of human rights: Interaction of human rights and international law: Interaction of human rights and international law Part 1: The influence of international law on the protection of human rights. Unit A: International law in the service of human rights: The invocation of the various sources of international law by the international monitors in the field of human rights. The powers of the States and the extraterritorial application of the conventions on human rights. The international responsibility of states and the effective protection of human rights. Unit B: International law as a restriction of human rights. Immunity of State and public officials and human rights. Immunity of international organizations and human rights. Responsibility of international organizations and human rights. Part 2: The impact of human rights in the development of international law. Unit A: Human rights as a factor of mild evolution of international law. The impact of human rights in the development of the law of international treaties and international customary law. The impact of human rights in the development of rules and institutions associated with the State. The impact of human rights in the procedural international law. Unit B: Human rights as a factor of overturning in international law. The emergence of individuals, people, minorities and indigenous population international law. The contribution of human rights in the hierarchy of norms of international law. Human rights and the collective security system of the UN Charter.