Human rights and extractive industries in Latin America: what responsibility of corporations and their States of origin for human rights violations in the Inter-American human rights system?

Abstract

Abstract The second half of the twentieth century reached expansion of external trade, followed in some cases by improvement in democratic processes and living conditions. Nevertheless, the strong rise of economic globalization and trade among countries started to challenge the enjoyment of some human rights. Investment agreements redefine economic landscapes, but simultaneously some of them threaten civil and political rights, as well as economic, social and cultural rights. Before this situation, in the field of human rights and extractive industries in Latin America, the issue related to responsibility of corporations and their States of origin for human rights violations in the inter-American human rights system arises. Inter-American standards and prospects on responsibility for human rights abuses committed by corporations operating in a third State are discussed in this paper. We concluded that even if international standards on this issue are still strengthening, positive developments can be arising.