Holding Corporations Accountable Corporate Conduct, International Codes, and Citizen Action

About this book

Given the huge impact of transnationals on human health, the environment, working conditions and the economic prospects of nations, is industry self-regulation sufficient? In the now famous case of the infant food industry, an estimated one and a half million babies still die unnecessarily every year as a result of formula feeding, almost two decades after the introduction the WHO/Unicef Code on the marketing of formula milk substitutes. How effective, therefore, has the Code been in changing industry behaviour? A key question, the author argues, is how to foster a favourable political climate for the practical regulation of TNCs. She advocates close attention to corporate conduct and TNC compliance with the regulatory codes that do exist. She explores the role of citizen action, national governments and international agencies. This book shows how powerful corporations can pay regard not only to the bottom line, but take their social responsibilties more seriously.

Contents

Regulation of transnational corporations - a historical perspective; democratic global governance - regulation of the corporate sector; "commerciogenic malnutrition" - the "bottle baby disease"; formulation and adoption of the international code of marketing of breastmilk substitutes; implementing the code; corporate conduct - socially-responsible marketing?; corporate conduct - acceptance of outside regulation?; corporate conduct - managing international issues, engineering of consent; civil society and the code; international regulation of TNCs - issues raised by the infant food debate.

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