Emerging International Human Rights Norms for Transnational Corporations

This article analyzes the emergence of new human rights norms for transnational corporations. It first explores Voluntary norm-making approaches, which have been a staple of this issue area since the 1970s. Second, it analyzes the formulation and eventual fall of the UN Draft Norms oil the Responsibilities of Transnational Corporations and Other Business Enterprises with Regard to Human Rights. A final section reflects oil the work of the UN special representative of the secretary-general on business and human rights, John Ruggie, and the future of norm making in this area. It is argued that these three processes constitute differing but fundamental steps toward the construction of international human rights norms for corporations and that, although norm entrepreneurs have clashed in debates over voluntary versus binding standards, norm making in this area remains healthy thanks to a now more solid international awareness regarding the corporate responsibility toward human rights.