As toxic pollutants and hazardous production emerged across
the twentieth century, first-world states came to play a
guardian role, imposing constraints on capital to safeguard
their workers, communities, and environments. As we enter
the new century, vigorous protest and debate over the
character and conditions of neoliberal globalization center on
whether or how to reaffirm or extend such protections in an
era of free trade, capital mobility, privatization, and deregu-
lation. From Rio to Seattle, Kyoto to Prague, controversy
arises over where the locus of authority for codes of corpo-
rate conduct might rest. Can states be redeemed as guardians
and still avert a destructive "race to the bottom"? Can
existing supranational bodies or regimes be charged with
design and enforcement of global standards, or are new
international institutions imperative? Dare we trust multina-
tional corporations (MNCs) to police themselves? What is
the proper role of advocacy networks and civic organiza-
tions?