The cycle can be attended in person as well as online and both formats require prior registration through this link. Currently, new regulations to promote sustainability place this issue in the public debate. Each day will deal with a topic: the first one, the analysis of cases of corporate social responsibility (CSR); the second, Commercial Law and sustainability; and the third, the relationship between CSR and Human Rights.

Maria Chiara Malaguti, president of the International Institute for the Unification of Private Law (UNIDROIT) and professor of International Law at the Catholic University of the Sacred Heart of Rome, will open the cycle on Friday, May 20 with her conference “Corporate social responsibility at the light of the cases treated by the National Contact Points in relation to the OECD Guidelines for multinational companies”.

The lecture on Friday, May 27, “Commercial Law and Sustainability”, will delve into the way in which sustainability is being introduced into the different matters that make up Commercial Law. For this, four aspects have been chosen for their novelty and importance. The first one will be discussed at the conference “Sustainability in land transport: road and rail”, by Silvia Boboc, assistant professor of Commercial Law at the Jaume I University of Castellón (UJI), and Ciara Vicente Mampel, assistant professor of Commercial Law (UJI). The second, “Treatment of ESG objectives in the proposal for a Directive on due diligence”, will be taught by Jorge Moya, permanent lecturer of the same subject at the University of Alicante (UA).

The third lecture, “Access to energy resources, profit sharing and sustainability”, will be carried out by José Miguel Corberá, assistant professor of Commercial Law at the Polytechnic University of Valencia (UPV). The fourth one, “CSR verification process and report”, will be given by Javier Vercher, assistant professor of Commercial Law (UV). These four presentations will be framed by professors of Commercial Law such as Esperanza Gallego (UA), Mª Victoria Petit (UJI), Juan Bataller Grau (UV), Josefina Boquera Matarredona (UV) and Felipe Palau (UPV).

The third and last day of the cycle focuses on what is considered one of the most relevant aspects of sustainability, such as the protection of Human Rights. The day has been divided into two tables. In the first one, Francisco Javier Zamora, professor of Private International Law at the UJI, will speak on the “Current Centrality of the business-Human Rights binomial”; José Elías Esteve, full professor in the same area at the UV, will deal with the “Balance of a decade of the Guiding Principles on Business and Human Rights”; and Gabriel Moreno, professor of Constitutional Law at the University of Extremadura, will deal with “Transnational Companies and Human Rights. The need for a binding instrument”.

The second table of the day is also made up of three speakers. Adoración Guamán, professor of Labour Law at the UV is in charge of the first intervention, entitled “Due diligence in human rights and corporate responsibilities: analysis of national and European Union regulations”. The second one, “Due diligence in global value chains and private international law of the EU”, will be carried out by Guillermo Palao, professor of Private International Law at the UV. Finally, the last presentation will be made by Ana María Ovejero, Professor of Constitutional Law at the European University of Madrid.

The closing of the cycle of lectures will be carried out by José Vicente Soler, general director of Sustainable Economy in the Ministry of Sustainable Economy, Productive Sectors, Commerce and Labour of the Valencian Government and Rafael Marimón, vice-dean of the UV Faculty of Law.

Registration in the conference: https://forms.gle/7jmFHFWjsqQSvbJw9