Prosecuting corporate human rights crimes

A corporate action that recklessly kills or maims thousands or millions is not a mere economic crime, regardless of the amount of profits at stake. It is a crime against humanity and merits recognition and response as such. For the worst actors, those that commit crimes against humanity or the fabric of life, the charters that created the corporation should be revoked and the assets disassembled so that they can no longer pose harm. In addition, individual accountability must be established through stringent punishment of individual corporate officials who have overseen corporate violations of human rights.

Corporations must be required to respect and comply with human rights as defined in local, national and international law, including the Universal Declaration of Human Rights. Baseline human rights such as the right to life must stand above economic principles such as free trade. In addition, corporations must respect other human rights including political and economic rights.