From an Individual to a Corporation: towards the Anthropomorphization of Corporations in International Law

Abstract

The idea that all human beings have universal, equal, and inalienable rights is no longer just a doctrine of human rights protection from an encroachment by the state. It has also become a standard for the development of new legal concepts, such as corporate human rights. Corporate human rights concept is based on the idea that national corporations have rights similar to human rights (e.g., freedom of expression, prohibition of discrimination, right to housing) and can demand that these rights be protected at the international level. Using anthropomorphic logic and drawing an analogy with the rights of other actors (states, animals, and nature), the author argues that the status of corporations in international law is increasingly likened to the status of an individual. The paper demonstrates the essence of the corporate human rights concept and its practical application in some judicial and quasi-judicial human rights mechanisms. Priority is accorded to European systems (the European Union and especially the Council of Europe) whereby the rights of corporations are guaranteed in the most comprehensive manner. The article also explains how the fundamental rights of corporations are derived from the fundamental rights of individuals, and supports the significance of the organisational and managerial structure of corporations for a more effective protection of individuals. The author concludes that the concept of human rights continues to grow in terms of expanding actors and strengthening the importance of non-governmental organisations in the human rights field.