How to Accomplish Corporate Social Responsibility for Human Rights – A Case Study on the Nicaraguan Sugarcane Industry

Abstract

Adverse business impacts on societies and environments have been increasingly addressed by the international community. To define a transnational umbrella model for business responsibilities, the United Nations introduced the framework named Protect, Respect and Remedy in 2008, which was complemented by the Guiding Principles on Business and Human Rights in 2011. I assessed the significance of these transnational guidelines by means of a practical case in Nicaragua, where economic activities have been related to a chronic disease epidemic among agricultural labourers. Then I attributed the conclusions drawn to the framework to discuss its applicability and to give advancing recommendations on how to accomplish corporate social responsibility for human rights. While the case study approach may limit interpretations to other cases or the chosen framework, this paper points out the necessity to establish international instruments that directly sanction corporations for non-compliance with fundamental rights – regardless of their national origin.