New actors for development? Companies as duty holders. Business and human rights.

Abstract

This article aims to analyze the growing role of companies in Development Cooperation with the increase of Corporate Social Responsibility programs and funds allocated to public-private partnerships, and besides, the difficulty in guaranteeing that their activities do not have a negative impact on human rights.

The Human Rights Based Approach to development cooperation recognizes poor people not as beneficiaries, but as active rights holders and establishes corresponding duties for states and other actors. The concept of rights-holders and duty-bearers introduces an important element of accountability. Companies have been understood by some authors as responsibility bearers, but we by others, in an actual context, as duty bearers.

International commitments adopted in the Sustainable Agenda can not ignore the role of transnational companies and the need to move towards frameworks that guarantee the fulfillment of human rights,