Background: Global environmental and social research strengthens the protection of people and the environment, develops national capacity for social and environmental management and enables significant progress in terms of transparency, accountability, nondiscrimination and public participation....

Despite the accelerating pace of globalization, it is impossible to ignore the marginalization of the developing world, as billions of people continue to slip deeper into poverty. While many theories, policies, and practices have been proposed to help redress the disparities between the 'haves'...

Activism seeking to improve labor conditions in global supply chains has led transnational corporations to adopt codes of conduct and monitor suppliers for compliance, but it is unclear whether these formal organizational structures raise labor standards. Drawing on thousands of audits conducted...

Corporations have a major impact on the lives of people in developing countries. Not only do they determine the shape of the international economy, but also many private companies now provide essential social services that were previously the responsibility of government. The growth of corporate...