Abstract

In recent years there has been a growing concern over business conduct and human rights due to the empowering effects of the economic globalization in transforming the multinational enterprises in powerful global institutions. This article illustrates the long-standing voluntarism vs. regulation debate started in the 1970s, and provides an overview the regulatory frameworks adopted in the contexts of the United Nations and OECD to encourage corporate accountability, with a focus on their domestic implications in the Italian case. The conclusions discuss the future perspective towards binding legal obligations on multinational enterprises.