Call for Papers

CALL FOR PAPERS:

CORPORATE HUMAN RIGHTS RESPONSIBILITY IN OECD CASE LAW:
ACTORS, ISSUES, RESPONSIBILITIES AND REMEDIES

25 January 2023

The German Research Foundation (DFG) funded project “Corporate Human Rights Responsibility  in the OECD NCP case law” at Friedrich-Alexander-University Erlangen-Nürnberg invites papers for a workshop on “Corporate Human Rights Responsibility In OECD Case Law: Actors, Issues, Responsibilities and Remedy” on 4 and 5 May 2023 in Erlangen, Germany.

National Contact Points (NCPs) established to promote the implementation of the OECD Guidelines for Multinational Enterprises are one of the crucial grievance mechanisms for holding multinational enterprises accountable for their human rights abuses. Also, they are viewed as ‚a source of norms‘  that further elaborate the corporate human rights responsibility under the UN Guiding Principles on Business and Human Rights. Specific instances provided by NCPs have the potential to further elaborate the role and responsibility of different actors, including investors, shareholders, and financial institutions in addressing human rights risks in their own operations. They also have the potential to handle emerging global issues such as AI and technology, climate change, fossil fuel investment and their implication on human rights and the environment. However, even though NCP cases may contribute to the clarity of corporate human rights responsibility, the remedy they provide remains weak when measured on the basis of the effectiveness criteria under the UNGPs, specifically, transparent, legitimate, and accessible mechanisms.

This workshop aims to focus on NCPs from the prospective of potential expanding of their roles beyond a classical reception and mediation of complaints, and to outline the potential of NCPs to influence policy making and institutional design processes which embody the ideas of corporate responsibility in the field of human rights. The project welcomes papers that analyse the corporate human rights responsibility in the OECD Case law focused, but not limited to the following themes:

ACTORS:

The role and responsibility of different actors including the parent company, shareholder, investors, and others in addressing human rights risks, conducting due  diligence and providing remedy through the OECD Case law analysis;

ISSUES:

The new concept of corporate human rights responsibility in emerging issues  including climate change, fossil divestment, AI and technology;

SCOPE OF RESPONSIBILITY:

Expectations, norms, and scope and extent of corporate  human rights responsibility in specific circumstances, sectors, and global supply chain;  and

REMEDY:

Effectiveness criteria of NCP case handling, and remedy to the affected right-holders.

Submissions:

An abstract with no more than 600 words should be submitted to  markus.krajewski@fau.de and otgontuya.davaanyam@fau.de by 17 February 2023. Notification of acceptance shall be sent by 1st March 2023. Full draft papers are to be submitted by 25 April 2023.
Authors who present at the workshop may also be invited to submit their papers for consideration  for publication.

Early career researchers:

Submissions by early career researchers (PhD candidates, and recent PhD holders) are particularly encouraged and welcome. Co-authored submissions are also welcome.

Please feel free to contact for any further information:

Prof. Dr. Markus Krajewski, markus.krajewski@fau.de
Otgontuya Davaanyam, otgontuya.davaanyam@fau.de