Business, Work and Human Rights in Finland

The seminar will feature the presentation of two significant recently published publications: 

1. The International Covenant on Economic, Social and Cultural Rights and the Employment Relation (Bloomsbury, 2025), edited by Klaus Lörcher, Niklas Bruun (Professor Emeritus, Commercial Law, Hanken School of Economics), and Ana Teresa Ribeiro, offers the first comprehensive academic analysis of the International Covenant on Economic, Social and Cultural Rights (ICESCR) in relation to employment. Drawing on case law from the Committee on Economic, Social and Cultural Rights (CESCR), the book examines both general and specific provisions of the Covenant, highlighting its potential to reinforce workers' rights globally. It aims to empower legal practitioners and scholars to better utilize international human rights standards in labour law enforcement and the fight against the kind of exploitation that Paavo Teittinen reveals in his book. [bloomsbury.com]
2. Pitkä vuoro – Kuinka moderni orjuus juurtui Suomeen (Gummerus, 2025) by Paavo Teittinen (Journalist and author, Helsingin Sanomat) is a chilling exposé of modern slavery in Finland. Based on award-winning investigative journalism, the book documents how foreign workers are subjected to forced labour in sectors such as hospitality, agriculture, forestry and construction. It reveals systemic failures in law enforcement and political oversight, showing how legal and institutional blind spots have enabled the exploitation of migrant labour. [gummerus.fi] 

The seminar will not only present the main findings of the two books but also examine the interlinkages between them, focusing on how international legal frameworks and national realities intersect and diverge. 
 

Photo of Paavo Teittinen by Liisa Valonen