ABSTRACT
This chapter presents corporate human rights obligations concerning socio-economic rights. It deals with the sources of law of corporate socio-economic rights obligations by examining national, international and corporate internal levels and the nature of corporate obligations concerning socio-economic rights. The chapter examines their potential corporate negative and positive obligations and obligations to respect protect and fulfil and despite obvious hurdles, corporations have obligations to respect, protect and fulfil socio-economic rights. It argues that corporations have immediate obligations, at least regarding the negative obligation to respect socio-economic rights. The chapter also examines the existing and potential sources of corporate socio-economic rights obligations deriving from national legal systems, international law and corporate voluntary commitments. Socio-economic rights obligations of corporations can be primary found directly in domestic systems of human rights protections. Several domestic constitutions provide for horizontal application of human rights. International law sources grant a secondary level for indirect corporate obligations concerning socio-economic rights.
