The increasing power of companies and the removal or weakening of international regulations in this age of globalization have led to calls for greater corporate transparency. The goal is to push these principles as a legislative action in the US Congress. The global trend towards economic deregulation and privatization of functions traditionally performed by states has increased the power of corporations relative to the state.
Many corporations generate revenues in excess of the gross domestic products of several countries.
In some cases, multinational corporations are in stronger negotiating positions than their host countries. Many countries in the global South write laws and trade agreements designed to attract foreign investments often at the expense of human rights and the environment. A Right to Know law will address this growing imbalance by providing affected local communities abroad access to important information they need to defend their basic human rights, protect their communities and their environment. An international consortium led by US-based ExxonMobil began work is now developing the Doba oil fields and building a pipeline from Doba to Cameroon s Atlantic coast. A Right to Know law would require that ExxonMobil publicly disclose existing security arrangements with state police, military forces, local militia groups or private firms that have been hired to protect operations in the project region.