Just Business: Multinational Corporations and Human Rights (Norton Global Ethics Series)
Nations aren’t the only entities that marginalize, abuse, and even murder citizens; in a globalizing economy, multinational corporations are often far more powerful than their host countries. By the time Secretary General Kofi Annan asked Kennedy School of Government professor Ruggie to study the issue in 2005, negotiations had reached an impasse, with businesses demanding voluntary mechanisms and human rights activists insisting on mandatory approaches. Ruggie strove to reconceptualize the issues, and developed a “Protect, Respect, Remedy Framework” and “Guiding Principles” for implementing that framework. So far, his approach, which blends voluntary and mandatory enforcement mechanisms, has generated considerable consensus, though some activists remain skeptical. The Framework clarifies the obligations of governments to protect citizens’ rights, of corporations to respect those rights, and of both to ensure that injured parties have access to appropriate remedies. By introducing new concepts, like “human rights due diligence,” and novel understandings, like the special challenge of ensuring human rights in conflict zones, Ruggie’s work has the potential to move multinationals beyond “happy talk” about corporate social responsibility into deeper and more effective analysis and implementation of responsible corporate behavior. --Mary Carroll