Activating Corporate Human Rights Accountability Standards in Africa: Lessons from Europe for the African Context
DOI:
https://doi.org/10.25159/2522-3062/16416Keywords:
business enterprises, corporate human rights accountability, regional standards, remedies, African human rights systemAbstract
With the escalating global demand for corporate human rights accountability, ongoing debates about the nature and extent of international corporate regulation have often left the issue of enforceable remedies for victims of corporate abuses at the supranational level unresolved. This paper examines the challenges of addressing abuses in the business context, by exploring the potential for a robust regional framework for corporate human rights accountability in Africa. Employing a comparative approach to the regulation of corporate human rights abuses in the European Union and Africa, the paper scrutinises the normative and institutional authority of the African Union and its human rights monitoring mechanisms that could be relevant to addressing corporate violations—albeit indirectly. The paper underscores the opportunity to establish standards for corporate human rights accountability at the regional level by leveraging these gaps for effective enforcement.
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