Human Security and Transnational Corporations

The debate on corporate social re sponsibility has gained impetus over the last few years. Public criticism of transnational corporations has grown in response to more and more new en vironmental offences and the flout ing of fundamental labour and human rights standards. Several companies, governments and international organisations have responded to this with voluntary codes of conduct and partnership initiatives between industry and politics. The Global Compact initiated by UN Sec retary General Kofi Annan between the UN and industry is the best example of a political strategy aimed predomi nantly at the voluntary self-regulation of industry. With the aid of best prac tice examples, the companies involved are to demonstrate their sense of re sponsibility in society, the focus being on environmental and social minimum standards. However, industry’s influence and the impacts of transnational corpo rate activities reach way beyond these » soft « policy fields. Overshadowed by partnership initiatives, dialogue proc esses and voluntary compliance, many corporations continue to ruthlessly pursue their particularistic interests in the » hard « areas of politics. Their ac tivities affect seriously the human s