Law Group at Wageningen University to launch the Centre of Excellence on Corporate Sustainability and Human Rights Law (18 February 2025)

Delighted to pass along this announcement:

On 18th February, the Law Group at Wageningen University will launch the Centre of Excellence on Corporate Sustainability and Human Rights Law. The Centre, led by Nadia Bernaz, focuses on advancing corporate sustainability and human rights in alignment with the EU legal and policy frameworks, such as the Corporate Sustainability Due Diligence Directive (CSDDD). The Centre has focal points in Serbia (Sonja Tošković, Belgrade Centre for Human Rights) and in Ukraine (Olena Uvarova, Yaroslav Mudryi National Law University). You can find more information here.

Confirmed speakers at the launch: Heidi Hautala, Vice President of the European Parliament 2017-24; Christine Kaufmann, Chair of the OECD Working Party on Responsible Business Conduct, professor of Public Law, European and Public International Law at the Faculty of Law at the University of Zurich; Lyra Jakuleviciene, Vice Chairperson of the UN Working Group on Business and Human Rights, International and European Union law, Law School Dean at Mykolas Romeris University; Alexandra Kuxova, Team Leader, Corporate sustainability and responsibility, DG for Internal Market, Industry, Entrepreneurship and SMEs, European Commission; Siniša Milatovic, Business and Human Rights Specialist, UNDP.

This event will convene policymakers, business leaders, civil society representatives, and academics to explore the transformative global implications of the EU’s corporate sustainability laws, particularly the CSDDD. Discussions will address how these laws influence corporate behavior globally, support the EU accession processes of candidate countries such as Ukraine and Serbia, and drive sustainable development and post-conflict recovery. In the future, we will draft guidelines on the implications of the CSDDD in candidate countries.

The launch will be happening in a hybrid format. The working language is English. The registration is possible by following this link. We will be happy to see you and your colleagues in Wageningen or online.