ABSTRACT
Corporate social responsibility (CSR) covers social, economic, financial and environmental considerations. This chapter discusses ways in which business and human rights intersect, the UN Guiding Principles on Human Rights and Business, the methods to address human rights within the corporate context and the current business and human rights debate. The foundation of international human rights law is the Universal Declaration of Human Rights (UDHR), proclaimed in a resolution of the United Nations General Assembly on 10 December 1948. Human rights are fundamental principles and standards that enable individuals everywhere to have freedom to live in dignity. A number of significant cases have been documented of apparent cooperation between corporations and host governments in major violations of human rights. Globalization presents tremendous opportunities as well as challenges for human rights. These challenges include a broad range of issues such as forced and child labour, corruption, and collaboration with repressive regimes.
