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"UN: Norms on the Responsibilities of Transnational Corporations and Other Business Enterprises with Regard to Human Rights, 2003" [2005] ELECD 236; in Tully, Stephen (ed), "International Documents on Corporate Responsibility" (Edward Elgar Publishing, 2005)

Book Title: International Documents on Corporate Responsibility

Editor(s): Tully, Stephen

Publisher: Edward Elgar Publishing

ISBN (hard cover): 9781843768197

Section: Chapter 13

Section Title: UN: Norms on the Responsibilities of Transnational Corporations and Other Business Enterprises with Regard to Human Rights, 2003

Number of pages: 5

Extract:

13. UN: Norms on the Responsibilities of
Transnational Corporations and Other
Business Enterprises with Regard to Human
Rights, 2003

Commentary: In 1998 the UN Sub-Commission on the Promotion and
Protection of Human Rights began assessing commercial impacts upon human rights
through a Working Group on the Working Methods and Activities of TNCs: Sub-
Commission Resolution 1998/8. Since it was considered `appropriate to examine all
these questions in a broader framework' (UN Doc E/CN.4/Sub.2/1998/6: para 28),
consideration was given to formulating a `new comprehensive set of rules' repre-
senting expected standards of corporate behaviour (UN Doc E/CN.4/Sub.2/1996/12:
para 74). All interested constituencies including business were invited to participate:
UN Doc E/CN.4/Sub.2/1999/9: paras 5, 37. Individual firms and corporate coalitions
were prepared to contribute to an authoritative set of principles if this would `estab-
lish a level playing field for business competition' (UN Doc E/CN.4/Sub.2/2002/
WG.2/WP.1/Add.1: paras 16, 60). Differences of view arose with respect to the
scope of application, legal nature, title, purpose and manner of implementation: UN
Docs E/CN.4/Sub.2/2001/WG.2/WP.1/Add.3 (2001) and E/CN.4/Sub.2/2002/13.
The resulting Norms (UN Doc E/CN.4/Sub.2/2003/12/Rev.2 (2003)) draw upon
ILO Conventions, human rights treaties and intergovernmental guidelines as well as
industry or commodity ...