The Role of Multinational Corporations and Global Civil Society in the Construction of Corporate Social Responsibility as an Element of the Contemporary Global Governance

Abstract

The globalization process has turned multinational corporations into powerful actors in the contemporary global governance. This is why, when they incur in violations of Human Rights, the offenses often go unpunished. On one hand, there are soft law rules that would make them liable, as well as some private regulations; however they rely on the will of the corporations. On the other hand, International Law is more focused on binding directly the countries in which they operate, but they often lack the means to implement those rules, or avoid doing so because they are afraid to lose the investment brought by multinationals. The global civil society puts pressure both directly and indirectly to states and international organizations, pushing for a more binding and comprehensive legal framework.