The 2025 MOOC on Human Rights Due Diligence for Decent Work connects a global learning community

A growing learning community

Building on the success of its first edition in 2024, which attracted over 4,200 participants worldwide, the 2025 edition of the MOOC confirmed the strong and growing demand for practical, labour-focused guidance on human rights due diligence (HRDD). This second edition brought together more than 5,600 participants from all regions: participants joined from Asia (1,819), the Americas (1,540), Africa (1,289), Europe (875), and Oceania (88), reflecting the course’s truly global reach.

From principles to practice: interactive live sessions for applied learning and exchange

Combining expert-led webinars and self-paced learning, the course offered practical insights to support governments, businesses and social partners in advancing decent through human rights due diligence (HRDD).

The course opened by exploring emerging trends in HRDD, regulatory initiatives, the use of data for evidence-based decision-making, SME engagement, protection of vulnerable workers, and the contribution of research to policy, while identifying priorities for advancing HRDD in support of decent work.

Subsequent live sessions unpacked Pillar II of the UN Guiding Principles on Business and Human Rights (UNGPs), highlighting the importance of a strong policy commitment and specific considerations related to labour rights, while guiding participants through the full HRDD process. Attention then turned on access to remedy and labour justice, highlighting the complementarity of state-based and non-state grievance mechanisms to strengthen workers’ rights and ensure effective remedy.

A particularly anticipated webinar zoomed in on due diligence and working conditions, including wages, working time, and occupational safety, linking normative frameworks with operational realities on the ground. The course concluded by highlighting how human rights due diligence can be positioned as a forward-looking tool for business resilience and long-term value creation.

Across six sessions, diverse perspectives – from international organizations, academia, enterprises, employers’ and workers’ organizations, and financial and multi-stakeholder initiatives – enriched discussions and reinforced a shared commitment to promoting decent work through HRDD. More information about the speakers is available here.

Learning beyond the live sessions

Complementing the webinars, the course included a comprehensive self-guided learning component. Participants completed several eLearning modules, including an introductory module on the labour dimension of human rights due diligence, five modules covering the ILO Fundamental Principles and Rights at Work, and dedicated modules on working conditions that unpacked key concepts related to working time and wages.

A shared step forward

What stood out once again was not only the scale of participation, but the quality of engagement, reflected in thoughtful questions during live sessions, dynamic discussions in forums, and a strong commitment to applying learning in practice. The knowledge gained from this course will empower participants to apply HRDD effectively in their own contexts, helping to create more sustainable business practices and supply chains.

Organized annually, the MOOC provides a platform to take stock of emerging trends and developments in HRDD, with a dedicated thematic focus each year. Three future editions are scheduled for 2026, 2027 and 2028. Participation will be open to all and free of charge. Information on the next edition will be published on the project website once it is available.