The Responsibility of Home States, the European Union, and International Organizations in the area of Business and Human Rights and Testimonies from Communities and Individuals Impacted by Business Activities

30.05.2017 | Didde Trolle Pedersen

Dato	man 02 okt — tir 03 okt
Tid	09:00  —  17:00
Sted	Aarhus University

INTRALaw (International and Transnational Tendencies in Law) at Aarhus University, Denmark, is hosting a two-day workshop on business and human rights, 2-3 October 2017. The event will convene experts from around the world to discuss the U.N. Guiding Principles on Business and Human Rights and its focus on communities’ access to remedies for corporate related human rights abuses. On the first day, victims and their representatives will present their testimonies. On the second day, participants will discuss the legal obligations of home states and international organizations (including the EU), as well as ways in which home states currently do or can regulate corporate conduct.

On the first day, papers discussing the experience of victims of corporate human rights abuse will be presented. On the second day, the response of the current international legal system will be considered.

The hope is that this format and the selection of the papers will allow for a conversation about which needs of victims are not currently being met by the international legal system and what changes are necessary to ensure human rights are respected, protected, and fulfilled. The second day will examine the extent to which human rights obligations to regulate and remediate impacts by businesses already attach to home states, the European Union, and International Organizations. Contributions for the second day will address aspects of four main issues:

• (i) what substantive expectations currently exist in international human rights law for States, the EU, and International Organizations concerning the protection of human rights from corporate-related abuses;
• (ii) how obligations under other branches of international law (e.g. investment law, trade law, etc.) might weaken or strengthen the States’ and IOs’ capacity to prevent, stop and redress corporate-human rights abuses;
• (iii) what opportunities or options exist for the regulation of corporate conduct; and
• (iv) do the current responses suggest a need for the direct international legal responsibility of corporations.

Keynote Speakers Michael Addo and Surya Deva, both members of the UN Working Group on Business and Human Rights, will deliver keynote speeches. Outcome of the Workshop Strong papers will be considered for publication in either a special issue or an edited volume.

For further information, please contact Tara Van Ho at tvh@law.au.dk