Corporate Social Responsibility, Human Rights and the Law Routledge Research in Sustainability and Business Series

Corporate Social Responsibility, Human Rights and the Law examines the responsibilities of business enterprises for human rights from a legal perspective. It analyses the legal status of the ?corporate responsibility to respect human rights? as articulated by the United Nations Guiding Principles on Business and Human Rights (UNGPs). This concept currently reflects an international consensus and is promoted by the UN.

The book contemplates the various founding perspectives of the UNGPs, and how the integration of notions such as ?principled pragmatism? and ?polycentric governance? within its framework provides insights into the future course of law and policy, compliance, and corporate respect for human rights. The book thus takes a global focus, examining the interaction of Corporate Social Responsibility (CSR), human rights, and the law in a broader global governance context.

Setting out a possible future scenario for the legalization of the corporate responsibility to respect human rights that is informed by the UNGPs' founding perspectives and reflects current realities in the human rights landscape, this book will be of great interest to scholars of business ethics, international human rights law, and CSR more broadly.

List of abbreviations

Introduction

1 The Legalization of Business Responsibilities for Human Rights in the Evolving Field of CSR and Business and Human Rights

2 The UN Guiding Principles on Business and Human Rights: Principled Pragmatism and Polycentric Governance

3 The Evolution of the Corporate Responsibility to Respect Human Rights: from a Soft into a Hard Obligation for Companies under National and International Law?

4 Human Rights Due Diligence as a Legal Concept: its Characteristics and Reformatory Potential

5 The EU’s Contribution to the Implementation of CSR and the Corporate Responsibility to Respect Human Rights: Critical Reflections on the European Commission’s Strategy on CSR.

6 The Role of Mandatory Disclosure in Operationalizing Human Rights Due Diligence: the Case of the EU Directive on Non-financial Disclosure and Board Diversity

Conclusion

Stéphanie Bijlmakers is an Affiliated Researcher at the Institute for Private International Law, KU Leuven, Belgium.