Online Training Course: Environment, Development, and Human Rights

How do environmental protection, sustainable development, and human rights intersect?

The Human Rights Centre at the University for Peace (UPeace) invites applications for its online certificate course Environment, Development, and Human Rights, designed for professionals and practitioners seeking to deepen their understanding of the legal, social, and policy dimensions of these interconnected fields.

📅 Dates: September 2 – October 14, 2026

💻 Format: Fully online | Flexible and interactive

🎓 Certificate awarded by the University for Peace (UPeace) for certificate and academic credits tracks.

The course takes an interdisciplinary approach to examining the relationship between environmental protection, development, and human rights. Participants will explore issues including climate change, international environmental law, human rights-based approaches to environmental protection, and the particular challenges faced by small island developing states.

What you will explore:

• The links between environment, development, and human rights
• Legal approaches to environmental protection and their implementation
• The international legal frameworks addressing climate change, including the UNFCCC and Paris Agreement
• Environmental and human rights challenges facing small island developing states
• Loss and damage and dispute settlement mechanisms
• The relationship between international environmental law and human rights within UN and regional human rights systems

Who should apply?

This course is particularly relevant for professionals working in:

• Environmental protection and climate policy
• Climate change mitigation and adaptation
• Sustainable development
• Human rights and advocacy
• Humanitarian work
• Health and education
• Civil society and (inter)governmental organizations

The course combines readings, video materials, case studies, and interactive webinars, creating opportunities to connect legal and policy frameworks with contemporary environmental and human rights challenges.

About the instructor

The course is taught by Dr. Marjolein Schaap, Professor in the Department of International Law at the University for Peace, where she teaches International Environmental Law and International Human Rights Law. Her research focuses on international institutions, human rights law, and global governance.

The course can be taken as a stand-alone certificate or as part of HRC UPeace's Professional Development Diploma in Sustainable Development and Human Rights.

💡 Limited financial assistance packages are available. Interested applicants are encouraged to contact the Human Rights Centre to learn more.

👉 Enroll: https://hrc.upeace.org/index.php/enroll/

ℹ️ Learn more about the course: https://hrc.upeace.org/index.php/events/environment-development-and-human-rights/

❓Questions? https://hrc.upeace.org/index.php/frequently-asked-questions/

📩 Contact the Human Rights Centre at hrc@upeace.org.

Join an international learning community exploring how law, policy, and human rights can contribute to more sustainable and equitable approaches to environmental challenges.