Multinational corporations and human rights in Asia

The responsibility of business to protect and promote human rights is a rapidly evolving concept in the private sector. Corporate social responsibility (CSR) is now seen as a mechanism to incorporate human rights policy in the business model. While CSR was once an idea adamantly rejected by economists such as Milton Friedman who argued that the only “business of business is business”, ethical corporate values is now seen as making good business sense. Spectacular corporate scandals such as Enron have also helped push the concept forward, together with increasing demands from international organizations and local civil groups that business behave responsibly and incorporate human rights values into its corporate culture.