ABSTRACT
This chapter is an historical introduction to the role of multinational corporations (MNCs), states and the international regulation of MNCs. The chapter starts with a consideration of the meaning of the concept “multinational corporations”. The chapter goes on to examine the relationship between MNCs and states and the concerns about MNCs involvement in the abuse of human rights. The chapter explores the role of corporations in the slave trade, the colonial enterprise and the Second World War. It further examines the relationship between MNCs and the countries of the South after independence.
