Business & Human Rights Initiative

Stakeholder Engagement

A Comparative Analysis of Stakeholder Dialogue Regimes

Key faculty: Shareen Hertel

Stakeholder dialogue emerged as a formal vehicle for promoting business and human rights in the early 2000s during the mandate of the UN Secretary-General’s Special Representative John G. Ruggie. This project assesses the on-the-ground impact of such processes, at the grassroots level. Through engagement with social movements, unions and consumer advocacy networks, the project fills critical scholarly and policy gaps by producing 1) more fine-grained data on the nature of corporate social impact; 2) a fuller picture of the terms of engagement between companies and communities (both in the context of formal consultative processes and in crisis situations); and 3) more comprehensive approaches to community-informed design and implementation of remedy for harm. This project intersects with the “Corporate Accountability Mechanisms” work stream of the BHRI – specifically, through mutual exploration of evolving legal frameworks for supply chain human rights due diligence – in this case, by analyzing community members’ perspectives on such emerging laws.

Featured Publication

Tethered Fates: Companies, Communities, and Rights at Stake

The Human Rights Implications of ESG and Sustainable Finance

Assessing the Human Rights Impact of Sustainable Finance Instruments

Key faculty: Stephen Park

Financial markets, including ESG strategies and financial products, have human rights implications for the protection of human rights and the fulfilment of specific human rights objectives. This research examines the objectives and impact of private standards, regulatory requirements, and international law governing sustainable finance from the perspective of human rights.

Featured Publications

Re-Thinking the Sustainability of Sovereign Debt

Social Bonds for Sustainable Development: A Human Rights Perspective on Impact Investing

Digital Human Rights

Digital Human Rights

Key faculty: Molly Land

This research focuses on the responsibilities of social media platforms and the role of state regulation in regulating online speech. The research is also about the intersection of human rights and science and technology studies, considering the way in which the introduction of new technologies can undermine or strengthen the use of rights-based frameworks to achieve social change.

New Technologies for Human Rights Law and Practice

The Meta Oversight Board’s Human Rights Future

Hate Speech on Social Media: Content Moderation in Context

Against Privatized Censorship: Proposals for Responsible Delegation

Regulating Private Harms Online: Content Regulation Under Human Rights Law

Technology and Economic and Social Rights

Business and Human Rights Approaches to Intellectual Property

Corporate Accountability Mechanisms

Key Faculty: Rachel Chambers

Accountability mechanisms in the business and human rights field comprises judicial and non-judicial remedy processes, and domestic laws requiring human rights disclosure and, increasingly, due diligence. This research explores these mechanisms. A common theme that links the threads of research is the challenge of employing extraterritorial accountability mechanisms to address corporate misconduct, in particular from the perspective of rightsholders.

How European Human Rights Law Will Reshape U.S. Business

The Securities and Exchange Commission as Human Rights Enforcer?.pdf

Reimagining Corporate Accountability: Going Beyond Human Rights Due Diligence.pdf

The Future of International Corporate Human Rights Litigation: A Transatlantic Comparison

Parent Company Direct Liability for Overseas Human Rights Violations: Lessons from the U.K. Supreme Court

Human Rights Disclosure and Due Diligence Laws: The Role of Regulatory Oversight in Ensuring Corporate Accountability

Assisting in the development and delivery of courses and the incorporation of business and human rights topics through the UConn curriculum, including the Social Responsibility and Impact in Business Minor and the Master of Science in Social Responsibility and Impact in Business. Current course offerings include:
- Business and Human Rights
- Social Responsibility and Accountability in Business
- Sustainability, Markets, and Society
- Politics and Human Rights in Global Supply Chains
Supporting and promoting student engagement through on-campus organizations and workshops.
Facilitating student internship and practicum course opportunities with corporations, civil society organizations, international organizations, and government agencies.
Advancing business and human rights education through national and international organizations. For example, faculty member Rachel Chambers serves as co-director of the Teaching Business and Human Rights Forum, an international organization dedicated to promoting and strengthening business and human rights education by fostering collaboration among teachers.

Public Engagement

To advance respect for human rights, UConn faculty engage with policymakers, businesses, advocates and other stakeholders to support student learning and professional opportunities in business and human rights. Examples of our engagement include:

Leadership and engagement with key business and human rights organizations: Teaching Business and Human Rights Forum; GBSN for Business and Human Rights Impact Community; and Global Business and Human Rights Scholars Association
Expert Working Group membership - the United States National Action Plan on Responsible Business Conduct
Participation in stakeholder consultations - State Obligations under the International Covenant on Economic, Social and Cultural Rights in the Context of Business Activities

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Five members of an academic panel sit on stage.

Policymakers, Business Leaders Say Sustainable Investing is Smart Investing

State Treasurer explored how investors can ensure no one is left behind through a just climate transition during a keynote address to UConn students and faculty

Two UConn students work on their laptops in a classroom.

New Master’s Degree in Social Responsibility & Impact in Business Seeks Students Interested in Making a Difference in the World

‘It is no longer enough to have a few well-intentioned companies or individuals to focus on corporate social responsibility’

A child peeks through a hole in a huge European Union flag during a demonstration.

Big Changes for Big Business as EU Human Rights Law Nears Enactment

If it works as intended, the EU law could be transformative in protecting human rights, including worker health and safety and workers’ free speech, around the world

The UConn Foundation on October 8, 2020.

The Business of Human Rights

‘Laura has been a champion of business in human rights not only within individual companies but also globally through her participation in policymaking at the highest levels’