HOME HELP FEEDBACK SUBSCRIPTIONS ARCHIVE SEARCH TABLE OF CONTENTS REGISTER		Author Keyword(s) Vol Page [Advanced]

This Article Full Text Full Text (PDF) Submit a response Alert me when this article is cited Alert me when eLetters are posted Alert me if a correction is posted Services Email this link to a friend Similar articles in this journal Similar articles in PubMed Add article to my folders Download to citation manager Request Permissions Citing Articles Citing Articles via Google Scholar Google Scholar Articles by Crow, M E Search for Related Content PubMed PubMed Citation Articles by Crow, M E Related Collections Economics of tobacco use and control

The human rights responsibilities of multinational tobacco companies

Correspondence to:
Melissa E Crow
Brooklyn Law School, One Boerum Place, Brooklyn, NY 11201, USA; mcrow65{at}aol.com

This article explores various strategies which could be used to hold the tobacco industry accountable for human rights violations precipitated by its conduct. First, a brief overview of the international human rights regime and the tobacco related jurisprudence issued by human rights treaty bodies is provided. The article then explains how tobacco control advocates could promote more systematic consideration of governments’ tobacco related human rights violations by reconceptualising the Framework Convention on Tobacco Control in the language of rights. The feasibility of using the existing human rights framework to target the tobacco industry directly is analysed with the conclusion that this approach has serious limitations. Emerging human rights norms, which have greater potential to affect the industry’s conduct, are presented. Finally, given the questionable authoritativeness of these norms, alternative ways that they could be employed to hold tobacco companies accountable for the rights related consequences of their activities are proposed.

Abbreviations: ATS, Alien Tort Statute; BAT, British American Tobacco; CEDAW, Convention on the Elimination of All Forms of Discrimination Against Women; CESCR, Committee on Economic, Social and Cultural Rights; CRC, Convention on the Rights of the Child; FCTC, Framework Convention on Tobacco Control; ICCPR, International Covenant on Civil and Political Rights; ICESCR, International Covenant on Economic, Social and Cultural Rights; NGOs, non-governmental organisations; UDHR, Universal Declaration of Human Rights; UN, United Nations; WHO, World Health Organization

Keywords: human rights; corporate responsibility; accountability; consumer; Framework Convention on Tobacco Control; Norms on the Responsibilities of Transnational Corporations