ABSTRACT

Thedebateovertheimpactofcorporatebehaviourisfrequentlyreducedtoa considerationofincrementalchangeofindividualorsectoralcorporateactionsor discussionsofvoluntarycodesofvariousdescriptions.Throughthreereflectionson therecenthistoryofcivilsocietyengagementwithissuesofcorporateaccountability, thischapterexaminestheshiftinemphasisamongcivilsocietyorganisationstoward morefundamentalissues.Whilethebalanceofgrosspowerhasmovedoverthelast30 yearstowardcorporateactors,nongovernmentalorganisations(NGOs)andsocial movementsarealteringthefieldofengagementandseekingtoreassertdemocratic citizenpower.Theresultistoputthepostureandactionsofstateactorsinquestion, bothnationallyandmultilaterally.Yetthisbriefreviewofindividualcampaigns,codes, andsectoralstructures,aswellasdefensivebattlesagainstprivatisation,investor guarantees,andtheAgreementonTrade-RelatedIntellectualProperty(TRIPS),suggests thatthesocialmovementof'globalisationfrombelow'isfacedwithaprofoundpolitical challenge.Theplayingfieldwillcontinuetotiltinfavourofcorporateandprivateprivilege andprotection,unlessdemocraticcontrolisre-established,anddonesoonatransnational orinternationalbasisaswellasatthemunicipal,state,tribal,andnationallevels.