Imprese multinazionali e diritti umani: i Principi Guida delle Nazioni Unite e la loro attuazione nel contesto dell'Unione europea

The twofold aim of the research is to study how the international soft law standards laid down in the UN Guiding Principles on Business and Human rights (UNGPs) are shaping both the European and the National legislations, and what are the further developments expected. The first chapter explores the (lack of) responsibility of MNEs in international law and in front of national courts. In this scenario, the role of international soft law has been particularly important. The second chapter examines three different public codes of conduct regulating MNEs, The OECD Guidelines for multinational corporations, the ILO Tripartite Declaration and the UN Norms. This analysis serves to give the reader a clearer idea of the context in which the UNGPs has seen the light. The third chapter is entirely dedicated to the analysis of the UN Guiding Principles endorsed in 2011 and of their three pillar, with a special focus on the State duty to protect. Finally, the fourth chapter analyses, through a comparative method, the UNGPs implementation in the EU and in some Member states. It concludes that the UN Guiding Principles are largely influencing the European policy in this sector, and that both the European Union and the Member states are implementing this policy through several measures, both voluntary and mandatory. Finally, the research intends to make a contribution to the debate on the increasing role of international soft law in solving challenges of a globalized world where the State sovereignty principle has lost importance.