The United Nations Global Compact's human rights principles: An analysis

This thesis aims to determine the effectiveness of the largest corporate social responsibility initiative, the United Nations Global Compact, in the protection of human rights by businesses. Certain scholars critique the Compact's human rights principles and voluntary aspect while others support it. The main critique is that the principles fail to provide adequate direction to businesses. However, my assertion is that the voluntary initiative's human rights principles are effective. I have relied on secondary literature in analyzing the paths of a number of signatory businesses, each from differing sectors, in addressing human rights. It appears that the vagueness of the principles serves a purpose for businesses of different industry types and contexts. In other words, my originally proposed thesis was strengthened after examining how various signatory businesses have sought to support human rights. Rather than turning the principles into a highly structured code of conduct for all businesses as the critics have argued, I argue that the principles should remain general and that more detailed direction must be developed for each individual business according to industry type, geographical location, size, and other particular circumstances