Description

International and European Human Rights Law has difficulty dealing with Human Rights violations committed by corporations as only States may be brought before international courts and bodies. However, through the development of positive obligations such as the obligation of due diligence, States may be held responsible for violations committed by private companies. The legal framework develops, from the UN Guiding principles on Business and Human Rights to proposal of an EU directive on due diligence. In addition, protecting human rights in this area requires their mainstreaming into new areas such as arbitration. However, the current legal route is far from providing justice to victims and other avenues might need exploring, from the possibility of non-State control to the role of civil society.