‘REBEL’ FARMERS AND ‘UNRULY’ EMPLOYEES: THE SITUATION OF HUMAN RIGHTS DEFENDERS PROMOTING CORPORATE ACCOUNTABILITY IN EAST ASIA

This report does not contain a detailed legal analysis of the legislative frameworks governing foreign direct investment, corporate social responsibility, or land concessions in the selected countries. Country by country differences in approach to commercial, investment, and development law and policy create very different legal environments for the operations of NGOs and corporate accountability HRDs. As such, we hope that national-level groups and international experts will feel free to use this as a possible starting point for additional research to inform the Working Group, and to shape their participation in the upcoming regional forum. We also note that it would be impossible to address all sectors in all countries. For host countries, we have focused on those sectors that contribute most to a country’s overall GDP, whether export or domestic. Home country profiles will focus exclusively on government efforts, and space for civil society, to improve respect for human rights by companies domiciled in that country. This submission uses engagement with a range of multistakeholder initiatives as a proxy for government engagement and, where possible, as a common benchmark for transparency and community dialogue. However, a more extensive review of international multistakeholder or ‘CSR’ efforts, including with international and regional financial institutions, may better reflect the attitudes and actions of the corporate sector towards HRDs and host governments.