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Article

22 May 2011

Author:
UN Special Representative on business & human rights, John Ruggie

[PDF] Human rights and corporate law: trends and observations from a crossnational study conducted by the Special Representative

Corporate and securities law directly shapes what companies do and how they do it. Its implications for human rights…remain poorly understood. Corporate law and human rights are often viewed as distinct legal and policy spheres…The…surveys indicated that corporate and securities law…does intersect with human rights…[W]here the impact on human rights may harm a company’s short- or long-term interests if it is not adequately identified, managed and reported, companies and their directors and officers may risk non-compliance with a variety of rules promoting corporate governance...[L]ack of clarity in corporate and securities law regarding…what they are permitted to do...[I]n most of the jurisdictions studied, companies and their directors and officers lack effective guidance on how best to ensure or oversee corporate respect for human rights.