Business and Human Rights Summer School returns to Naples for its ninth edition
Dal 08/06/2026 ore 09.00 al 12/06/2026 ore 13.00
Cnr Iriss
Via Cardinale Guglielmo Sanfelice, 8
Naples
From 8 to 12 June 2026, Naples will host the ninth edition of the Business and Human Rights Summer School (BHR Summer School), an international advanced training programme dedicated to the relationship between corporate activities, human rights protection, and sustainability. The initiative will adopt a hybrid format, allowing participants to attend either in person or online. The programme is organised through the scientific cooperation of the Institute for Research on Innovation and Services for Development of the National Research Council (Cnr-Iriss), alongside leading academic and institutional partners.
Over the years, the Summer School has established itself as a premier international forum for researchers, PhD candidates, legal professionals, corporate sustainability officers, public officials, and civil society representatives. Since its inaugural edition, the programme has welcomed nearly 250 participants from around the world and featured over 60 internationally renowned speakers from academia, international organisations, the private sector, and civil society.
The initiative is built upon a broad international partnership involving Cnr-Iriss, the University of Milan (including its Department of Italian and Supranational Public Law), Wageningen University & Research, and Temple University Rome Campus. It is supported by the CNR Department of Social Sciences and Humanities, Cultural Heritage (Cnr-Dsu), the University of Naples Federico II, and the University of Naples “L’Orientale”, and is officially endorsed by the Interministerial Committee for Human Rights (CIDU) of the Italian Ministry of Foreign Affairs and International Cooperation.
The 2026 edition will focus on the implementation of the United Nations Guiding Principles on Business and Human Rights (UNGPs), exploring the growing intersections between human rights, environmental sustainability, corporate accountability, and ESG challenges. Throughout the five-day programme, participants will examine key international standards and recent regulatory developments. Dedicated thematic forums will address contemporary debates, including corporate sustainability due diligence legislation, artificial intelligence, access to remedy, responsible fashion, business operations in conflict zones, and the balance between competitiveness and sustainability.
The programme will open on 8 June at the University of Naples “L’Orientale” with the inaugural session, “The UN Guiding Principles on Business and Human Rights 15 Years Later”. The event will feature welcome addresses by the Directors of the BHR Summer School: Angelica Bonfanti (University of Milan), Marta Bordignon (Temple University Rome Campus), Marco Fasciglione (Cnr-Iriss), and Chiara Macchi (Wageningen University & Research). Opening remarks will also be delivered by Salvatore Capasso (Director of Cnr-Dsu), Paolo Landri (Director of Cnr-Iriss), and Giuseppe Cataldi (Professor at the University of Naples “L’Orientale”). Following an introduction by Professor Cataldi, Professor Michael Addo (University of Notre Dame Law School, London) will deliver a Lectio Magistralis on the legacy and future prospects of the UNGPs, fifteen years after their adoption. Closing remarks will be provided by Akiko Sato (UNDP).
The Summer School brings together a distinguished international faculty of academics, practitioners, and representatives from leading international organisations, including experts affiliated with the United Nations, the UN Development Programme (UNDP), and the UN Working Group on Business and Human Rights.
Key highlights include contributions from prominent international figures such as Fernanda Hopenhaym (UN Working Group on Business and Human Rights), Heidi Hautala (former Vice-President of the European Parliament), Oreste Pollicino (Bocconi University), Anita Ramasastry (University of Washington School of Law), and Olena Uvarova (UNDP), among other leading scholars and experts in the field.
Most of the training sessions will be hosted at the Cnr-Iriss headquarters in Naples, reinforcing the Institute’s ongoing commitment to fostering international dialogue and capacity building on global challenges at the intersection of human rights, governance, sustainability, and innovation
Organizzato da:
CNR - Istituto di Ricerca su Innovazione e Servizi per lo Sviluppo
Referente organizzativo:
Marco Fasciglione
CNR - Istituto di Ricerca su Innovazione e Servizi per lo Sviluppo
marco.fasciglione@cnr.it
Modalità di accesso: registrazione / accredito
Access reserved to Summer School participants.
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