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Rights and Corporate Social Responsibility: Competing or Complementary Approaches to Poverty Reduction and Socioeconomic Rights?

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Abstract

Following the situation of poverty in the rights paradigm, this paper explores the links between the rights-based and corporate social responsibility (CSR) approaches to the realization of socioeconomic rights in the broader context of an emerging recognition of CSR as private regulation of business behaviour. It examines complex theoretical and practical dimensions of responsibility and potential contributions of businesses to poverty alleviation and clarifies the apparent paradox of legal compulsion of essentially voluntary CSR activities. Rather than treat rights and CSR as parallel approaches to protecting socioeconomic rights, it is argued that CSR can be part of a coherent framework of laws and policies for legally translating broad human rights commitments to poverty reduction into concrete programmes. The paper demonstrates how legally propped CSR arrangements can support poverty reduction and appropriate task-specific contextualised definitions and boundaries of CSR that complement the rights-based approach. It is argued that human rights principles have normative dimensions to guide and help formulate policies, programmes and practices, which in turn allow for a creative use of and legal prop to CSR. The conceptualization of human rights is not restricted to one implementation method, and CSR can partly satisfy states’ human rights obligations and transcend the narrow conventional human rights discourse on obligations of non-state actors.

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Notes

  1. Minerva Mills v Union of IndiaAIR 1980 SC 1789 at 1846 (Justice P.N Bhagwati of Indian Supreme Court).

  2. UN Resolution 41/128 1986.

  3. International Covenant on Civil and Political Rights, G.A. res. 2200A (XXI), 21 U.N. GAOR Supp. (No. 16) at 52, U.N. Doc. A/6316 (1966), 999 U.N.T.S. 171.

  4. International Covenant on Economic, Social and Cultural Rights, G.A. res. 2200A (XXI), 21 U.N. GAOR Supp. (No. 16) at 49, U.N. Doc. A/6316 (1966), 993 U.N.T.S. 3.

  5. Resolution 32/130 of 16th December 1977 (Alternative Approaches and ways and means within the United Nations System for improving the Effective Enjoyment of Human rights and fundamental freedoms).

  6. UN Doc A/CONF 157/23 at 20, 1993.

  7. AIR 1986 SC 180.

  8. AIR 1981 SC 746.

  9. PLD 1994 SC 693.

  10. SERAC v Nigeria Communication No. 55 of 1996.

  11. Optional Protocol to the International Covenant on Economic, Social and Cultural Rights. Available at: http://www.treaties.un.org/Pages/ViewDetails.aspx?src=TREATY&mtdsg_no=IV-3-a&chapter=4&lang=en, retrieved 16th September, 2013.

  12. Attorney General of Ondo State v Attorney General of the Federation and 35 others [2002] 6 SC (pt 1) at 1; A.G Lagos State v A.G Federation (2003) 6SC (pt 1) 24.

  13. Archbishop Okogie & others v Attorney General of Lagos State NCLR, 337.

  14. Uzoukwu v Ezeonu 1991 6 NWLR pt 2000 P 708 at 761

  15. Fawehinmi vs. Abacha S.C. 45/1997; Oronto Douglas v Shell Petroleum Development Company Limited (1999) 2 NWLR (Pt 591) 466; Gbemre v Shell (Unreported) Suit no: FHC/B/CS/53/05; Odafe and Others v Attorney General and Others FHC/PH/CS/680/2003.

  16. African Charter on Human and Peoples’ Rights (Ratification and Enforcement) Act.

  17. Uzoukwu v Ezeonu (1991 6 NWLR pt 2000 p708 at 761).

  18. Ibid.

  19. Article 30, African Charter on Human and Peoples’ Rights; Malawi African Association and others v Mauritania, Communication. Nos. 54/91, 61/91, 98/93, 164/97 à 196/97 and 210/98 (2000); SERAC v Nigeria, Communication No. 55 of 1996; SERAC v Nigeria, Communication No. 55 of 1996; Purohit and Moore v The Gambia, Communication No. 241/2001.

  20. Communication No. 155/96.

  21. Lopez V Uruguay Communication No. 52/1979, U.N. Doc. CCPR/C/OP/1 at 88 (1984).

  22. SERAC v Nigeria.

  23. Responsibilities of Transnational Corporations and Other Business Enterprises with Regard to Human Rights, U.N. Doc. E/CN.4/Sub.2/2002/13 at 15-21 (2002).

  24. Consumer Education & Research Centre v Union of India (1995) 3 SCC 42.

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  1. University of Exeter, Law School, Amory Building, Rennes Drive, Exeter, EX4 4RJ, UK

    Onyeka K. Osuji & Ugochukwu L. Obibuaku

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Osuji, O.K., Obibuaku, U.L. Rights and Corporate Social Responsibility: Competing or Complementary Approaches to Poverty Reduction and Socioeconomic Rights?. J Bus Ethics 136, 329–347 (2016). https://doi.org/10.1007/s10551-014-2523-y

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