Uche, M. 2025. Embedding Sustainable Development Goals in Public International Law and International Criminal Law Modules at Undergraduate and Postgraduate Levels. CETI Learning & Teaching Symposium 2025. University of Westminster, London 02 Jul 2025
| Title | Embedding Sustainable Development Goals in Public International Law and International Criminal Law Modules at Undergraduate and Postgraduate Levels |
|---|---|
| Authors | Uche, M. |
| Type | Conference paper |
| Abstract | ‘Education for Sustainable Development is United Nations Educational, Scientific and Cultural Organization’s response to the urgent challenges facing our planet’ (UNESCO https://www.unesco.org/en/sustainable-development/education), which the Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs) aim to address. These include armed conflicts which have devastating impacts on the environment, create or perpetuate inequalities, aggravate hunger and poverty, and disproportionately impact women and children. Public international law (PIL) in addition to dealing with relationships between states and other subjects of international law, deals with how they work together to address these global issues which threaten peace and security. International criminal law (ICL) defines most serious crimes of concern to the international community— war crimes, crimes against humanity, genocide and aggression, it holds individuals accountable for such crimes and examines the roles of international courts and tribunals with respect to such crimes. Nonetheless, many typical PIL and ICL curricula neither expressly include references to the SDGs as core aspects of these modules nor do they systematically embed them in the topics covered. This paper argues that an urgent change in approach is necessary to unleash the potentials of such modules to promote meaningful real-world learning experiences for students. To do so, undergraduate and postgraduate PIL and ICL modules should clearly integrate the SDGs to demonstrate their intrinsic connection to topics they cover, empower students with the knowledge, skills, values and attitudes to live in a way that is good for the environment, economy, and society, while preparing them for the global workforce. The paper will demonstrate how the Level 5 PIL and Level 7 ICL modules at Westminster Law School have adopted this approach by (i) linking specific SDGs to each topic covered in the module, and (ii) providing students with multiple opportunities for oral and written reflection on their level of awareness of the SDGs, as well as how the modules have changed their perception or encouraged them to take action for one or more SDGs. |
| Keywords | Sustainable Development Goals, SDGs, public international law, international criminal law, Education for Sustainable Development, UNESCO |
| Year | 2025 |
| Conference | CETI Learning & Teaching Symposium 2025 |
| Accepted author manuscript | File Access Level Open (open metadata and files) |
| Publisher's version | File Access Level Open (open metadata and files) |