HR 714 Human Rights and Corporate Social Responsibility

This course examines the debates and analyses surrounding the social responsibility of business (also known as the “Corporate Social Mandate”) related to global operations of multinational corporations. Students study relevant international legal standards, including applicable corporate law principles; the international influence of corporations on national and regional economies; the scope of corporate responsibilities/duties to respect, protect, and promote human rights in the corporate “spheres of influence;” complicity, agency, and joint venture liability; civil and criminal remedies litigation before domestic courts; extraterritorial and universal jurisdiction; soft rules and corporate self-regulation with reference to the U.N. Global Compact and corporate codes of conduct; as well as the financial obligations and profit objectives of companies within the human rights mandate, and the conflict between shareholder and stakeholder interests; issues of corporate compliance and monitoring; and non-market management strategies integrating social responsibility issues with financial goals, risk assessments, training, and stakeholder-sensitive corporate governance structures.