Scarlett Cornelissen, Scarlett

Thesis (MPhil)--Stellenbosch University, 2021.ENGLISH ABSTRACT: This thesis investigates the human rights role of transnational business corporations (TNCs) in
the contemporary era and how they can contribute to global justice.
In the era of globalisation, the growing reach and influence of TNCs has prompted both
academic and policy discussion over big businesses’ global responsibilities. In recent years the
question of TNCs’ human rights role has become more important, and there have been efforts
at the international level to develop principles and guidelines on TNC behaviour in the human
rights sphere. A key issue these efforts have had to face is how far TNCs’ human rights
responsibilities should go and what obligations could reasonably be placed on them, given that
they are private actors with legal standing that differs from states.
Business ethics enquiries into these matters – and specifically a field known as Business and
Human Rights (BHR) - have addressed the moral bases for according human rights obligations
on TNCs. Yet there is lack of consensus in the scholarship on the extent of and grounds for
these obligations and lack of engagement with the features of the international system, namely
its inter-state nature.
The thesis critically engages with the BHR literature and develops a framework for considering
TNCs’ moral responsibilities for human rights by drawing on global justice scholarship.
Specifically, the thesis critiques the interactional framing of human rights underpinning BHR
arguments and offers an institutional understanding of human rights. This recasts the human
rights claimants-respondent relationship into an institutional one and considers agent
obligations in relation to the institutional order.
In terms of this, and through a critical reading of the United Nations ‘Guiding Principles on
Business and Human Rights’ of 2011, the study argues the following: (i) that TNCs have human
rights duties directed towards the institutional setting and their contribution to that setting; (ii)
TNC duties are first and foremost negative: it is to refrain from participating in unjust and
coercive institutional orders. (iii) TNCs also carry positive duties toward redress and to work
towards the institution’s just exercise of rights. (iv) TNCs exercise their obligations alongside
states, who have primary obligation towards protection and remedy. Yet, depending on the
context, the nature of the TNC, and their capacities, TNCs can at times be expected to secure -
that is, protect and promote - human rights in settings where states fail in this primary obligation. (v) Establishing when this positive duty on TNC applies and how it is effected, is
an institutional process.AFRIKAANSE OPSOMMING: Die studie ondersoek wat die menseregterol van transnasionale sake-ondernemings (TSOs) is
en hoe sulke ondernemings tot globale geregtigheid kan bydra.
Die era van globalisering het die toenemende invloed van TSOs teweeggebring. Hierdie
verskynsel het akademiese, sowel as beleidsgesprekke, oor die globale verantwoordelikhede
van groot ondernemings ontlok. Algaande het hierdie gesprekke die vraag oor die
menseregterol van TSOs begin aanspreek; daar is ook pogings aangewend om internasionale
beginsels en riglyne daar te stel vir die optrede van TSOs. ’n Vername vraagstuk is hoeveel van
TSOs verwag kan word, gegewe die feit dat hulle private entiteite is met ’n ander regsstatus as state.
Navorsing in sake-etiek, en in besonder navorsing wat fokus op ‘Sake en Menseregte’ verken
die morele gronde vir die toedeling van menseregte verpligtinge op TSOs. Daar bestaan egter
geen konsensus onder navorsers oor hoe ver TSO verpligtinge hoort te strek nie en op watter
gronde toedeling hoort te geskied nie. Die literatuur toon ook gebrekkige omgang met
vraagstukke wat verband hou met die samestellende eienskappe van die internasionale bestel,
te wete die feit dat dit ’n inter-staat stelsel is.
Dié tesis gaan krities om met die ‘Sake en Menseregte’ literatuur. Dit ontwikkel ’n alternatiewe
raamwerk vir die toedeling van menseregte verpligtinge aan TSOs, en dit aan die hand van
globale geregtigheid literatuur. In besonder, neem die tesis kritiese standpunt in teen die
interaksionele grondslag vir ‘Sake en Menseregte’ se argumente oor menseregte, en bied ’n
institusionele siening oor menseregte. Dit lei tot ’n herkonseptualisering van die menseregte
eis-respondent verhouding, wat nou in institusionele verband omskryf word. Die studie bied
gevolglik insig in watter verpligtinge toepaslik is op TSOs in internasionale institutionele
verband.
Na aanleiding hiervan, en deur middel van die kritiese lees van die Verenigde Nasies se
‘Guiding Principles on Business and Human Rights’ van 2011, voer die tesis die volgende aan:
(i) dat TSOs menseregte verpligtinge het wat institusioneel omskryf moet word en aan die hand
van TSOs se bydraes aan institusies beoordeel moet word; (ii) dat TSOs se menseregte
verpligtinge uit die staanspoor in negatiewe verband is, d.w.s dat TSOs nie aandeel moet hê
aan ongeregtighede of aan dwanginstellings nie ; (iii) TSOs het ook positiewe pligte met betrekking tot regstellende aksies en om te beywer dat instellings geregtigheid nastreef; (iv)
TSOs moet hul verpligtinge naas state uitvoer. State is primêr aanspreeklik vir die beskerming
van menseregte en regstellende aksie vir menseregteskending. Na gelang van die konteks, die
aard van die TSO en sy kapasiteit, kan daar egter wel van TSOs verwag word om menseregte
te beskerm en te bevorder. Dit sou van toepassing wees in kontekste waar state in hul pligte
faal. (v) Die vraag oor wanneer en hoe hierdie positiewe verpligtinge op TSOs van krag is,
word institusioneel verreken.Master

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Transnational business corporations, human rights, and global justice

https://scholar.sun.ac.za:443/bitstream/10019.1/123636/2/cornelissen_business_2021.pdf

Transnational business corporations, human rights, and global justice

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Stellenbosch University SUNScholar Repository