– from the clothes we wear, to the technology we use,

- 從我們穿的衣服，到我們使用的技術。

they influence and control our lives

他們影響和控制我們的生活

in ways we possibly don't even understand.

在我們可能都不瞭解的情況下。

We'll show you how the law shapes their behaviour to keep us safe.

我們將向你展示法律是如何塑造他們的行為以保證我們的安全。

In this first episode... they're bigger than many countries,

在這第一集裡......他們比許多國家都大。

but what exactly is a multinational corporation?

但究竟什麼是跨國公司？

With huge resources and growing power, what keeps them in line?

擁有巨大的資源和不斷增長的力量，是什麼讓他們保持一致？

And... is the law keeping up as these companies change themselves

而且......當這些公司改變自己時，法律是否跟得上？

and the world around us?

和我們周圍的世界？

Multinational corporations –

跨國公司-

private companies which operate in many nations –

在許多國家經營的私營公司

can be richer than some countries...

可以比一些國家更富裕...

and they're getting richer.

而且他們越來越富有。

Food and drinks maker Nestlé, famous for Kit Kats and Cheerios,

食品和飲料製造商雀巢公司，以Kit Kats和Cheerios聞名。

was worth around 350 billion dollars in 2020.

在2020年，價值約為3500億美元。

That's more than the economic output of Portugal.

這比葡萄牙的經濟產出還多。

Oil company Shell is worth 87 billion dollars –

more than the Democratic Republic of Congo.

比剛果民主共和國還多。

And Apple, whose products you might be using now, is worth two trillion dollars.

而你現在可能正在使用的蘋果公司的產品，價值兩萬億美元。

That puts its wealth ahead of both Russia and Canada!

這使得它的財富超過了俄羅斯和加拿大!

How have companies got so big recently?

公司最近是如何變得這麼大的？

Well, in part the growth of the internet means that a company

那麼，在某種程度上，互聯網的發展意味著一個公司

can be based in one place, but sell around the world.

可以設在一個地方，但在世界各地銷售。

And that means it can grow and become very powerful.

而這意味著它可以成長並變得非常強大。

Another aspect is China: it has opened up in recent decades

另一個方面是中國：近幾十年來，中國開放了

and so has been able to attract investment from around the world,

並是以能夠吸引來自世界各地的投資。

helping these companies to grow bigger.

幫助這些公司做大。

The world is changing. These powerful international organisations

世界正在發生變化。這些強大的國際組織

can know what we buy, who our friends are

可以知道我們買了什麼，我們的朋友是誰

and virtually everything else about us.

以及關於我們的幾乎所有其他事情。

Questions have already been raised about how they're using this power.

已經有人對他們如何使用這一權力提出了疑問。

If they chose to abuse that power and even break the law,

如果他們選擇濫用這種權力，甚至違反法律。

what would stop them? We spoke to lawyer Mark Stephens

什麼能阻止他們？我們採訪了律師Mark Stephens

and asked how the law is changing as multinationals get bigger.

並詢問隨著跨國公司的規模越來越大，法律是如何變化的。

The law's had to adapt and change from a nationally based system where,

法律必須適應和改變以國家為基礎的制度，在這種制度下。

you know, a company would only work in one country, where...

你知道，一個公司只在一個國家工作，那裡...

to the modern day, where companies will have multitudes of jurisdictions

到了現代，公司會有很多的司法管轄區。

that they operate in and therefore they need

他們在其中運作，是以他們需要

some kind of almost global control

某種幾乎全球性的控制

and that's where international law comes in,

而這正是國際法的作用所在。

because it sets the standards – the basic minimum standards –

因為它規定了標準--基本的最低標準--。

that they have to comply with.

他們必須遵守的規定。

Mark thinks the law needs to develop

馬克認為法律需要發展

to set basic standards for multinational corporations.

為多國公司制定基本標準。

Many laws were designed when companies were in just one country.

許多法律是在公司只在一個國家時設計的。

So, how effective is the law in dealing with multinationals?

那麼，法律在處理跨國公司方面的效果如何？

I think the complexity of companies today, on an internationalised basis,

我認為今天公司的複雜性，在國際化的基礎上。

makes the law very difficult to be enforced against them.

使得法律很難對他們進行強制執行。

So, I've got one client, which has 748 companies

所以，我有一個客戶，它有748家公司

in about 47 different countries,

在大約47個不同的國家。

and so getting an oversight of that, getting control of that

是以，要對其進行監督，對其進行控制。

from a legal and regulatory side, can be very challenging.

從法律和監管方面來看，這可能是非常具有挑戰性的。

And that's the opportunity that international law provides,

而這正是國際法所提供的機會。

because essentially it's giving the minimum standards

因為從本質上講，它給出了最低標準

to which they need to operate.

他們需要在其中運作。

Companies are very complex

公司是非常複雜的

so sometimes it's hard to enforce the law

所以有時很難執行法律

when they are spread out around the world.

當他們分佈在世界各地的時候。

Can we punish a parent company

我們是否可以懲罰一個母公司

for something it's responsible for in another country?

為它在另一個國家所負責的事情負責？

It's becoming easier to punish a... a mother company –

懲罰一個......一個母親公司越來越容易了 --

the holding company, if you will –

控股公司，如果你願意 -

for the actions of its subsidiaries. But on the face of it,

為其子公司的行為負責。但從表面上看。

it's the subsidiary that is going to be liable.

是子公司要承擔責任。

It's only if you can show that there was a controlling mind

只有當你能證明有一個控制的思想時，才會有這樣的結果

back at the headquarters, or that in some way they should be accountable,

回到總部，或以某種方式對他們進行問責。

that you can hold the parent company to account.

你可以要求母公司承擔責任。

Lawyers are becoming increasingly ingenious

律師們正變得越來越精明

in the way in which they are visiting accountability on the parent companies,

在他們對母公司進行問責的方式中。

and that's only got to be a good thing because if they're accountable,

而這隻能是一件好事，因為如果他們負責任。

they will behave better.

他們會表現得更好。

It is becoming easier to punish companies

懲罰公司正變得越來越容易

for wrongdoing in different countries,

對不同國家的不法行為。

and if they are accountable, it will influence their behaviour.

而如果他們負責任，就會影響他們的行為。

Of course, many companies do what's right without being forced to,

當然，許多公司在沒有被強迫的情況下也會做正確的事情。

but it can take something shocking happening to start change.

但它可能需要一些令人震驚的事情發生才能開始改變。

In 2013, the Rana Plaza building in Bangladesh collapsed,

2013年，孟加拉國的拉納廣場大樓倒塌了。

killing more than a thousand people.

殺害了一千多人。

It was the worst of many such incidents in the country.

這是該國許多此類事件中最糟糕的一次。

The following month, international clothing manufacturers quickly

次月，國際服裝製造商迅速

made a legal agreement to improve safety in factories in Bangladesh.

達成了一項法律協議，以改善孟加拉國工廠的安全。

This is what's known as Corporate Social Responsibility or CSR.

這就是所謂的企業社會責任或CSR。

These are the practices or policies that a business can implement

這些是一個企業可以實施的做法或政策

that do good in the world. Think charity, or volunteering,

在世界範圍內做好事。想想慈善事業，或志願服務。

or the environment and it's more than just about profit.

或環境，而且這不僅僅是利潤問題。

But what about when companies don't choose to behave?

但是，當公司不選擇行為的時候，怎麼辦？

How can the law control something that is so big?

法律怎麼能控制這麼大的東西？

Ranjan Agarwal, a Canadian lawyer who deals with big companies,

Ranjan Agarwal，一位與大公司打交道的加拿大律師。

explained who is responsible for enforcing the law

解釋了誰負責執行法律的問題

on multinational companies.

關於跨國公司。

In our system, around the world, we seem to have accepted that

在我們的系統中，在世界各地，我們似乎已經接受了這一點

the obligation or responsibility to police corporations

監管公司的義務或責任

is with individual states.

是與個別國家。

In international law, there is no general rule

在國際法中，不存在一般規則

that companies are responsible for wrongful acts,

公司要對不法行為負責。

even if they're committed internationally or abroad.

即使他們是在國際上或國外犯下的罪行。

There are treaties, multilateral treaties,

有一些條約，多邊條約。

that impose requirements or obligations

規定要求或義務的

on countries, but not on companies.

對國家，而不是對公司。

There is no international body that regulates multinationals.

沒有任何國際機構對跨國公司進行監管。

Instead, there are treaties that impose obligations

相反，有的條約規定了義務

on countries, but not companies.

關於國家，但不是公司。

So, do these companies have to follow things

那麼，這些公司是否必須遵循事情

like international human rights laws?

像國際人權法？

For the most part, no. In our system,

在大多數情況下，沒有。在我們的系統中。

we require companies to follow the domestic laws of their states.

我們要求公司遵循其所在州的國內法律。

Those domestic laws may align with international human rights laws,

這些國內法律可能與國際人權法相一致。

or human rights norms – expectations that we have as a community.

或人權規範--我們作為一個社區的期望。

There are a couple of exceptions, where states...

有幾個例外情況，即各州...

where – sorry – companies may be governed by international treaties,

其中--對不起--公司可能受到國際條約的約束。

but those are generally exceptions.

但這些一般是例外情況。

Companies follow the domestic laws of their states,

公司遵循其所在州的國內法律。

but they don't necessarily have to follow international human rights laws,

但他們不一定要遵守國際人權法律。

which are designed for countries.

這是為國家設計的。

How do people decide which state's laws a company follows?

人們如何決定一個公司遵循哪個州的法律？

For the most part, people don't decide

在大多數情況下，人們並不決定

where the law's going to be enforced.

法律將在哪裡被執行。

We require our governments – sometimes working together –

我們要求我們的政府--有時是共同合作--的

to establish rules.

以建立規則。

In essence, we have jurisdictional laws across the world:

從本質上講，我們在世界各地都有管轄法律。

each country gets to decide where and how

每個國家都可以決定在哪裡以及如何

it's going to take jurisdiction over companies.

它要對公司進行管轄。

Sometimes it's where the company operates –

有時是公司經營的地方 -

that is, where its headquarters is.

也就是其總部所在地。

Sometimes it's where the company does business,

有時是公司做生意的地方。

but again we rely on uni...

但是，我們還是要依靠大學。

individual states to make those decisions.

各個州可以做出這些決定。

Sometimes governments work together to establish rules,

有時政府會共同制定規則。

but each country gets to decide where

但每個國家都可以決定在哪裡

and how it's going to take legal action over companies.

以及它將如何對公司採取法律行動。

So, is international law fit for purpose as these companies develop?

那麼，隨著這些公司的發展，國際法是否符合目的？

I believe that international law is moving to a place where

我相信，國際法正在走向一個地方，即

companies may be held to account.

公司可能會被追究責任。

For example, several years ago the UN established guiding principles

例如，幾年前，聯合國制定了指導性原則

on business and human rights,

關於商業和人權。

which were intended to create a global standard,

其目的是為了建立一個全球標準。

to implement a framework to prevent and address

實施一個框架，以防止和解決

the risk of human rights on business activity.

人權對商業活動的風險。

But as long as we have nation states,

但只要我們還有民族國家。

I believe that we will rely on individual countries to enforce these norms.

我相信，我們將依靠各個國家來執行這些規範。

Even though the UN established principles

即使聯合國制定了原則

to guide businesses on human rights,

以指導企業的人權工作。

we rely on individual countries to enforce the law on companies.

我們依靠個別國家對公司實施法律。

So, we've heard that the way multinational corporations

是以，我們已經聽說，跨國公司的方式

are spread around the world makes them hard for the law to control.

在世界範圍內的傳播使得法律很難控制他們。

We also heard that the law is changing to deal with that.

我們還聽說，法律正在改變以應對這一問題。

But international laws will always depend on countries

但是，國際法將永遠取決於各國

to agree to follow them.

以同意遵循他們。