Kish Parella publishes “Enforcing International Law Against Corporations: A Stakeholder Management Approach” in the Harvard International Law Journal The article explores the ways in which corporate stakeholders encourage corporations to integrate international law norms into their policies and practices.

By Law Communications
September 30, 2024

Washington and Lee law professor Kish Parella has published an article in the Harvard International Law Journal. The article, “Enforcing International Law Against Corporations: A Stakeholder Management Approach,” explores the ways in which corporate stakeholders – including consumers, employees, suppliers, investors, financial institutions, benchmarking organizations, and NGOs – use various strategies to encourage corporate actors to integrate international law norms into their policies and practices.

“There is an important but oft neglected relationship between the problems of corporate governance and international law. Corporate managers grapple with how to respond to society’s demands that their enterprises do better when it comes to protecting people and the planet. These demands take many forms, including increased pressure for “sustainability” and “environmental, social, and governance” (“ESG”) measures. These demands are made in response to the economic, social, environmental, and political crises facing our world and a recognition of the responsibility of corporations and other business actors to contribute to their resolution. What is often unrecognized is that many of these crises occur because corporations fail to follow international law. Corporate misdeeds often arise from the violation of international law norms on human rights, environmental protection, sustainable development, and use of force, among others. International law can guide corporate managers on meeting the public’s demand for more responsible business practices if they would only follow it,” writes Professor Parella.

The article is available online at the Harvard International Law Journal website.

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