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Full-Text Articles in Human Rights Law
Corporations And The Limits Of State-Based Models For Protecting Fundamental Rights In International Law, David Bilchitz
Corporations And The Limits Of State-Based Models For Protecting Fundamental Rights In International Law, David Bilchitz
Indiana Journal of Global Legal Studies
At the heart of international law lies a central tension. On the one hand, the fundamental rights recognized in international treaties protect the fundamental interests of individuals, obligating all actors who can affect these rights. One the other hand, international law has often been conceived of as a system in which the only legitimate actors are states. In turn, only states can be bound by the fundamental rights obligations in international treaties. To address this tension, two models have been proposed. The first is an "Indirect duty" approach, whereby the state remains the primary duty-bearer and must itself "create" the …