The origins of human rights compliance can be traced back to December 10, 1948, when the Universal Declaration of Human Rights (UDHR) was adopted by the UN as "a common standard of achievcment for all peoples and nations."...Just as the UDHR prompted states to protect people from rights violations such as the atrocities of World War II, the Guiding Principles ask that companies, especially those with operations in conflict zones, be audited to prevent and deter such violations. This idea should come as little surprise considering that some MNCs arc more powerful than states...In the past, companies could use corporate social responsibility (CSR) programs to cherry pick and deal with the social impact of only those activities with which they felt comfortable. Today, the Guiding Principles require corporations to respect human rights... [refers to General Motors, Shell, PetroChina, Total, Zijin, Rio Blanco Copper (part of Zijin), Citibank (part of Citigroup)]