On 11 September 2026, Dr Gurgen Petrossian, Senior Officer for International Criminal Law at the International Nuremberg Principles Academy, delivered a guest lecture at SBS Swiss Business School in Zurich entitled “From Nuremberg to the Global Supply Chain: Current Developments in Human Rights and Environmental Due Diligence.”
The lecture explored the evolving responsibility of businesses for human rights and environmental impacts, tracing developments from the Nuremberg industrialist cases to contemporary frameworks on corporate due diligence. Drawing on the Flick, IG Farben and Krupp cases, Dr Petrossian discussed how questions of knowledge, choice and contribution already featured in the post-war proceedings against industrialists.
Against this historical background, the lecture examined the development of modern business and human rights standards, including the UN Guiding Principles on Business and Human Rights, the OECD Guidelines, the German Supply Chain Due Diligence Act and recent developments concerning the EU Corporate Sustainability Due Diligence Directive (CSDDD).
A particular focus was placed on the practical application of human rights and environmental due diligence, including risk identification, prevention and mitigation measures, as well as the relationship between corporate due diligence and questions of legal accountability.
Through practical scenarios and discussion with students, the session also addressed the circumstances in which corporate activities in high-risk or conflict-affected environments may raise questions extending beyond compliance and due diligence to potential individual responsibility under international criminal law. The lecture formed part of the Academy’s broader engagement with the continuing relevance of the Nuremberg Principles and their application to contemporary challenges in international law and accountability. (gp)