Dans les interstices du droit formel : responsabilité sociale des entreprises, soft law et gouvernance contractuelle de la chaine d’approvisionnement mondiale
Destined, in essence, to regulate interstate relations, public international law seems closed to the idea of recognizing liability of transnational corporations. However, this imperviousness to recognizing legal responsibility per se of global economic powers has not prevented a soft evolution of the international order. Following several scandals related to violations of human rights, some in the context of global supply chains, civil society could no longer allow transnational companies to take advantage of the existing legal vacuum. As a result, a global regulation strongly influenced by the trend of corporate social responsibility (CSR) emerged from a normative muddle. This institutionalization of CSR is based on several instruments, including guiding principles on Business and Human Rights which occupy a central position in this regulatory trend. It is intended that these principles will apply as a uniform, global normative canvas. Therefore, they should guide actions of companies regardless of their geographic location. The implementation of this CSR global framework is possible due to substantial pressure exerted by non-governmental actors, such as civil society and the market. These actors seek to promote CSR and facilitate the transformation of this regulation. Particularly, private standards are playing an increasingly important role in the governance of global supply chains. By establishing CSR in contractual relations, this governance would mark the advent of new regulatory tools which seek to fill in the public law gaps.
Regulation globale Public international law Global regulation Corporate social responsibility Global civil society Socially responsible investment Transnational corporations Governance Global supply chain Private norms