Multinational corporations and human rights

Anil Yilmaz-Vastardis co-authored a report commissioned by Amnesty International UK analysing potential liabilities of multinational oil companies for the adverse impact of their activities on the local communities living in the Niger Delta region. The full report was published on 30 October 2012.

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Watch Anil Yilmaz-Vastardis talk about her wide-ranging research into the impact of corporations on human rights.

Project timeframe

This research ended in 2012 with the publishing of the report.

Project objectives

The overall aims of the research were to:

  • review the Nigerian legal framework applicable to impacts of oil companies on the human rights of local communities and the environment
  • analyse the possibility of bringing legal action against a parent company in its home state for the harms caused by its subsidiary
  • analyse the potential liabilities for misleading disclosure of human rights and environmental impact for the parent company under the US and UK securities regulation
  • analyse the potential liabilities in the UK, the US and the Netherlands for corrupt practices in Nigeria
  • identify the key risks for the company and its investors.

Project findings and impact

The report focused on the activities of the Royal Dutch Shell group as a case study. The report concluded that the legal landscape is changing. Multinational corporations are facing increasing numbers of lawsuits in certain EU member states and in the US at the parent company level, for adverse impacts resulting from the activities of their subsidiaries. It was concluded that the principles of separate personality and limited liability continue to act as an obstacle to holding parent companies liable for acts and omissions of their subsidiaries; however, courts are increasingly taking the level of involvement by the parent company in the subsidiary’s business into account in their assessments. The report also arrived at conclusions as to which companies and individuals within the group of companies are potentially liable for the adverse impacts.

Corporate-liability-report

Download the full report: Corporate liability in a new setting


Research team

Anil Yilmaz-Vastardis

Output

Leader, S, Ong, D, Van  Ho, T,  Yilmaz, A, Michalowski, S, Netto, U,Danesi, R and Wlodarczak, B (2012) Corporate Liability in a New Setting: Shell and the Changing Legal Landscape for the Multinational Oil Industry in the Niger Delta. Report.

Partners

Professor Sheldon Leader, University of Essex

Professor Sabine Michalowski, University of Essex

Professor David M Ong, Nottingham Trent University

Dr Tara Van Ho, University of Aarhus

Dr Rosemary Danesi, University of Lagos

Ulisses Netto, University of Aberdeen

Beata Wlodarczak