The idea that economic, social and cultural (ESC) rights are indispensable for human dignity and freedom first received recognition at the international level in article 22 of the Universal Declaration of Human Rights. By resort to drafting history, textual interpretation and subsequent...

This paper focuses on the interaction between non-governmental organizations (NGOs) and corporate actors with economic power. Focus is placed on the social and environmental effects of multinational enterprises (MNEs) that are largely private or privatized. The paper points, through specific...

This article analyzes the increasing phenomena of voluntary private sector initiatives in social responsibility and assesses the public impact of the privatized pursuit of social justice. It concludes that the social concerns at the root of the phenomenon under review are a welcome development,...

Globalized production and commodity chains, fueled by transnational corporations (TNCs) as the principal global economic actors, ‘dis-embed’ national economies and labour markets from the home-country social and labour regulations. The resulting ‘transnational regulatory void’ threatens...