STUDY International Framework Agreements An Instrument for Enforcing Social Human Rights? HANS-WOLFGANG PLATZER UND STEFAN RÜB January 2014 n International framework agreements create norms for the application of social and labour-policy standards in transnational enterprises. They are an instrument devel­oped by global and sectoral trade union federations with the aim of ensuring that fundamental labour and employment standards are also effectively applied on the periphery of global value-added chains. n International framework agreements have so far only partly helped to achieve the goal of establishing social human rights in the global economy. They have, however, made a contribution towards casting a public spotlight on the normative significance of fundamental social standards and workers’ rights, as well as manifesting in con­crete terms how these rights can be experienced at the corporate level. n They are, in this way, a key supplementary instrument in efforts to strengthen, both politically and legally, social human rights on a global scale and to advance the in­ternational networking of labour unions as well as the transnationalisation of labour relations at the corporate level.