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The UN Guiding Principles on Business and Human Rights: Implications for Corporate Social Responsibility Research

Published online by Cambridge University Press:  09 March 2021

Andreas RASCHE Open the ORCID record for Andreas RASCHE [Opens in a new window]  and
Sandra WADDOCK
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Abstract

This article presents a review of the literature on the United Nations Guiding Principles (UNGPs) for the purpose of situating the UNGPs in the voluntary corporate social responsibility (CSR) infrastructure. We identify four key themes that underlie the debate: (1) a critical assessment of the UNGPs, (2) their application to different sectors, (3) a discussion of how to embed key aspects of the UNGPs into national and regional contexts, and (4) reflections on the role of due diligence. We discuss these themes and outline some practical and theoretical take-away messages. Our review highlights some similarities and differences to the discussion of voluntary initiatives in the field of CSR, especially the UN Global Compact. Our discussion helps to understand how the UNGPs are situated in the voluntary institutional infrastructure for CSR. Finally, we show how the theoretical and practical discourse on the UNGPs can be further advanced.

Keywords

business and human rightsdue diligenceliterature reviewUN Global CompactUN Guiding Principles
Type
Scholarly Articles – Special Issue on “BHR Landscape after 10 years of the UNGPs: An Assessment”
Information
Business and Human Rights Journal , Volume 6 , Issue 2: Special Issue: BHR Landscape after 10 years of the UNGPs: An Assessment , June 2021 , pp. 227 - 240
Copyright
© The Author(s), 2021. Published by Cambridge University Press

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Footnotes

Conflicts of interest: The authors declare none.

*

Professor of Business in Society, Copenhagen Business School, Department of Management, Society and Communication, Dalgas Have 15, 2000 Frederiksberg, Denmark.

**

Galligan Chair of Strategy, Professor of Management and Carroll School Scholar of Corporate Responsibility, Boston College, Carroll School of Management, Chestnut Hill, MA 02467, USA.

‡

This work received no funding.

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