Human Rights Obligations and Transnational Corporations with Emphasis on Human Rights Council Approach

Document Type : Research Paper

Authors

shahid beheshti university

Abstract

Transnational Corporations (TCs) are one of the principal participants in the political, social and economic contemporary world. These corporations have put out desire and appropriate achievements, as well as harmful disorders in human rights domains. The latter has led to the disputed problematique in international law. Have TCs any human rights obligations? In response to this question, two main approaches have formed: The first is the ethical approach which argues that human rights as a priori fundamental ethical obligations are assignable to all entities including TCs. The second is institutional approach which says human rights are those rights that have listed in Human Rights Declaration and subsequent international instruments and contemplates that states are principal duty bearers towards human rights obligations. According to the recent approach, the lack of direct assignment of human rights obligations to TCs is a more appropriate way to protect these rights. This article examines both approaches as well as attention to the documents of the Human Rights Council which has produced many documents in this respect and concludes although TCs have human rights obligations but still the States are being considered direct duty bearers towards human rights obligations.

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References

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Comparative Law Review
Volume 9, Issue 2
Autumn & Winter
October 2018
Pages 829-849

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