The 2025 edition of the MOOC on Human Rights Due Diligence for Decent Work (HRDD4DW) brought together over 5,600 participants from around the world to strengthen their understanding of labour-focused human rights due diligence, with a special emphasis on working conditions. Building on the success of the 2024 edition, which attracted 4,200 participants, this second edition demonstrated growing global demand for practical guidance on integrating human rights into labour practices. Participants joined from all regions, including Asia, the Americas, Africa, Europe, and Oceania, reflecting the course’s truly international reach.
The course combined expert-led webinars with self-paced learning to provide practical insights for governments, businesses, and social partners. Live sessions, held from December 1 to 12, 2025, covered emerging trends in HRDD, regulatory initiatives, data-driven decision-making, SME engagement, protection of vulnerable workers, and the role of research in policy development. Participants were guided through the full HRDD process, including the UN Guiding Principles on Business and Human Rights, policy commitments, labour rights considerations, and access to remedy through both state and non-state grievance mechanisms.
A key focus of the MOOC was linking human rights due diligence to working conditions, including wages, working time, and occupational safety. This approach connected normative frameworks with operational realities, highlighting HRDD as a forward-looking tool for business resilience and long-term value creation. Across six sessions, participants engaged with diverse perspectives from international organizations, academia, enterprises, employers’ and workers’ organizations, and multi-stakeholder initiatives, reinforcing a shared commitment to promoting decent work.
The MOOC also included a self-guided learning component, covering the labour dimension of HRDD, the ILO Fundamental Principles and Rights at Work, and detailed modules on working conditions. Participants actively engaged in forums and live sessions, demonstrating thoughtful discussion and a strong commitment to applying the knowledge in practice.
Beyond participation, the course reinforced a global learning community of practitioners better equipped to advance human rights due diligence and promote decent work. Co-funded by the European Commission, the HRDD4DW project will continue over the next three years, offering additional MOOCs, in-depth trainings, and capacity-building initiatives to further support governments, enterprises, and social partners in implementing HRDD aligned with international labour standards.
