Opinio Juris

Wednesday, May 7, 2008

A Sensible Argument Against a Corporate Human Rights Treaty

by Julian Ku

As Roger noted recently, John Ruggie, the United Nations secretary-general’s special representative for business and human rights, has released his third report on human rights and business. In this article, Ruggie offers a sensible and persuasive argument against codifying his principles of business conduct into a human rights treaty.

I have three main reservations about recommending to states that they launch a treaty process at this time. First, treaty-making can be painfully slow, while the challenges of business and human rights are immediate and urgent. Second, and worse, a treaty-making process now risks undermining effective shorter-term measures to raise business standards on human rights. And third, even if treaty obligations were imposed on companies, serious questions remain about how they would be enforced.

Interestingly, many of his arguments here can be made against all types of human rights treaties. In any event, his clear-eyed practical view of human rights realities is to be applauded.

05.07.2008 at 9:10pm 1 Comments 0 Trackbacks

Monday, May 5, 2008

Reason #856 to Love New Zealand

by Kevin Jon Heller

Stories like this cause barely a ripple of controversy:

Girls may be given free access to the emergency contraceptive pill at their local Auckland pharmacies in a bid to reduce teen pregnancies and abortions.

The medicine can already be sold by many pharmacists without a doctor's prescription, including to girls without parental consent.

An Auckland District Health Board committee will tomorrow consider a staff proposal to make the pill free through community pharmacies in Auckland city.

People given the Levonelle 1 pill by their pharmacist would also be offered a packet of condoms and a pamphlet on sexual health and contraception.

Sane family planning driven by medical experts, not by religious fanatics who are far more interested in controlling women's sexuality than in promoting women's health. What's the world coming to?

05.05.2008 at 8:03pm 19 Comments 0 Trackbacks

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Wednesday, May 7, 2008

Monday, May 5, 2008

Opinio Juris

A weblog dedicated to reports, commentary, and debate on current developments and scholarship in the fields of international law and politics

Contributors

Guest Writers

Opinio Juris Inaugural On-Line Symposium: Challenges to Public International Law

Special Features

Recent Posts

More links here

Subscribe

Search Posts

Categories

Archives

Blogroll

Opinio Juris Alumni

Site Statistics

Wednesday, May 7, 2008

Monday, May 5, 2008

A weblog dedicated to reports, commentary, and debate on current developments and scholarship
in the fields of international law and politics