Prioritizing countries with preferential privileges is a way for governments to consider human rights. They help guarantee the basic needs of people in the trading nation. The ethical obligation of governments is to not exploit people living in trading nations (Hill). 2022). For a society to be fair and equitable, it is essential that governments ensure protection of basic human rights and the dignity and well-being of all citizens. For vulnerable minorities to be protected, respecting their human rights is crucial. Trade nations could target vulnerable groups like LGBTQ persons, women and children in order to traffick, abuse and force labor. To promote accountability and discourage corruption, the government must ensure that human rights are protected. The failure to support human rights can lead to corruption and impunity in trading nations. This could threaten the viability businesses. Responsible business behavior and stability are essential to create a positive environment for bilateral and multilateral commerce.
People who oppose countries that consider human rights and give preferential commercial privileges claim this is a violation of the sovereignty of other countries. To insist that countries respect human rights before participating in commerce is against their sovereignty and independence. Different countries have different institutions, traditions and practices. Therefore, forcing them to adopt other practices is a threat to their independence. Some advocates argue that governments should be more concerned about their country’s well-being and the welfare of their citizens than the operation of foreign nations. It is also a problem that some nations who take pride in protecting human rights can be responsible for significant human injustice. It is disingenuous to emphasize human rights as a priority while offering preferential commercial privileges (Inoguchi & Le, 2020). Oponents say that before considering human rights and other factors, states must prioritize their interests as well as the benefits to them from the relationship.