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...

The article examines the complexities involved in the establishment of a constitutional culture in Burma, which was named Myanmar in 1989 by military generals who took power. It briefly reviews events leading up to the national convention convened by the military government to draft guidelines...

This paper examines questions of international jurisdiction applied to discriminatory conduct of multinational enterprises (MNEs). It analyzes whether discriminatory conduct perpetrated abroad against U.S. citizens by MNEs possessing varying degrees of affiliation with the United States should...

This chapter in a compendium on the World Trade Organization (WTO) examines the role of human values in the quest for coherence in the global governance of work and trade. I use the term "global governance" to refer to the system of international institutions, rules and processes that guide the...

Human labour is a key factor in international economic activity yet international labour standards are typically considered to be outside the realm of international economic law (IEcL). This disregard persists even though international labour standards aim to enhance economic activity by...

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,...

The Handbook focuses on human rights in situations of escalating conflict. Human rights are as multi-dimensional as sources of conflict; both encompass political, legal, economic, social and cultural spheres of life. In many cases, violations of human rights signal the existence of escalation of...

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...