Dire working conditions are prevalent in the labor-intensive segments of global supply chains.
Pronouncements by governments and corporations that claim to address the plight of workers are
plentiful but the enforcement of social and human rights is lacking. This volume explores the
possibilities for better enforcement by: - providing a general overview of the currently
considered enforcement instruments - identifying governmental instruments that are yet to be
employed - assessing the effectiveness of social chapters in international trade agreements -
discussing the concept of corporate due diligence proposed by the United Nations Guiding
Principles on Business and Human Rights. In sum the volume shows that many instruments are
available to the hands of governments but as long as the political will to make effective use
of them is lacking the enforcement of human rights along the supply chain remains unacceptably
deficient. The contributors are Stefan Beck (Kassel) Madelaine Moore (Kassel) Christian
Scheper (Duisburg) and Alison Schultz (Kassel).
