This book brings together papers written by representatives from UN agencies and academics who take a fresh look at the expanding role of transnational corporations and foreign direct investment in the world economy. These papers deal with such issues as the nature and extent of globalisation, the shifting relations between transnational corporations and national economies, and the opportunities and obstacles facing policy makers in the rapidly changing global economy.

This volume brings together world experts in international business who offer a commentary on the key activities of transnational corporations including strategy, economic development, government policy, technology and law

Are transnational corporations (TNCs) and foreign direct investment beneficial or harmful to societies around the world? Since the birth of the United Nations more than 60 years ago, these questions have been major issues of interest and involvement for UN institutions. What have been the key ideas generated by the UN about TNCs and their relations with nation-states? How have these ideas evolved and what has been their impact? This book examines the history of UN engagement with TNCs, including the creation of the UN Commission and Centre on Transnational Corporations in 1974, the failed efforts of these bodies to craft a code of conduct to temper the revealed abuses of TNCs, and, with the advent of globalization in the 1980s, the evolution of a more cooperative relationship between TNCs and developing countries, resulting in the 1999 Global Compact.

This account of business-related human rights violations details the barriers victims face when seeking remedies and offers policy solutions.