GPPi publishes paper on the roles and responsibilities of transnational corporations

GPPi’s Thorsten Benner is the author of the new paper Leitplanken für Global Player? Die Rolle und Verantwortung multinationaler Unternehmen. It is the fourth paper to appear in the Research Paper Series and is part of a project called Exploring and Analyzing Accountability in Global Governance supported by the Fritz Thyssen Stiftung.

Leitplanken für Global Player? reviews the debate on the roles and responsibilities of transnational corporations in global governance. The first part of the paper analyzes the positions of the three dominant schools (libertarians, anti-globalization, corporate social responsibility à la carte) and argues that they all have significant shortcomings.

The second part of the paper discusses the contribution business can make to sustainable development and global governance (in the areas of core business, philanthropy, public-private partnerships, advocacy and participation in negotiation networks).

The third part argues for a multidimensional framework for the governance of multinational corporations: a framework that is based on effective governance at the national level and a small core of binding rules at the international level that is complemented by more sector-specific voluntary initiatives.