In good company

Description

The influence of multinational companies on the shaping of the regulatory environment in which they conduct their business has raised the question to what extent such powerful non-state actors should be held to rule of law standards and human rights. An important argument for extending the reach of such standards to multinationals is that they are in a position to seriously affect the living conditions of individuals and communities in a similar way as public authorities and sometimes even more than these. At the same time, the question how best to give such stakeholders a voice– including employees, indigenous communities, people living in the proximity of factories – has not been answered. There are many initiatives to include consultation of stakeholders in transnational business operations, but the extent and manner in which this is done may differ significantly. These developments raise both empirical and conceptual issues concerning the legal mechanisms and actors involved and specifically the way in which private actors should respond to these concerns. In this workshop we focus on participation as part of a human rights approach. To what extent can human rights provide a basis for the elaboration of participatory structures? And what should be the obligations of companies in this regard?

During this workshop, we will explore to what extent businesses should take into account human rights as a public interest, with a particular focus on the right to participation. We invite scholars to address this question from different perspectives, including both public and private law dimensions as well as theoretical views. The idea behind the workshop is to connect these perspectives in a conversation about participation and human rights that transcends the boundaries of classic legal fields and divisions.
The workshop is meant for an exchange of ideas on the theme and an exploration of possibilities for future collaboration, especially in the context of the themes of globalisation of law and public and private interests within the Dutch sectoral plan for legal research.
Speakers included: Victoria Azizi, Alessandra Arcuri, Aurelia Colombi Ciacchi and Lottie Lane, Ioannis Kampourakis, Nicky Touw, Martijn Scheltema, Nina Mann, Antoine Duval, Kenanya Pijl, Klaas Eller, Lucas Roorda.

Period	8 Oct 2021
Event type	Workshop
Location	Rotterdam, NetherlandsShow on map
Degree of Recognition	National