Latest Documents

Promoting inclusive business through responsible business. Part 1 – Outsource production not responsibility

The private sector plays an important role in economic development. However to be beneficial to local populations, business must act responsibly. Part 1 of this blog discusses how business can do this, as laid out in the OECD Guidelines for Multinational Enterprises, and make a positive contribution to economic, environmental and social progress with a view to achieving sustainable development.

Implementing new international standards for compiling FDI statistics

In 2014, many countries implemented the latest international guidelines for compiling FDI statistics. The new standards have resulted in significant changes in FDI statistics, including new measures of FDI at the global level.

When businesses are bad, who you gonna call?

Most businesses are good. They pay their taxes, they create employment, they abide by the laws, and they generally contribute to the societies in which they operate. But what can be done when businesses behave badly? This blog discusses the National Contact Points, the unique grievance mechanism of the OECD Guidelines for Multinational Enterprises, and how could be improved to better fulfill their potential.

Striving for excellence – international sporting events we can be proud of

This blog post John Morrison, Executive Director of the Institute for Human Rights and Business, discusses what the social responsibilities of sporting events should be and argues for greater oversight and due diligence at every stage of the mega-sporting events delivery process.

As demands for better human rights reporting grow fast, help is at hand

This blog post discusses how the UN Guiding Principles Reporting Framework, introduced in February 2015, help companies provide evidence of how they are conducting human rights due diligence: the process of assessing and addressing their human rights impacts, and tracking and communicating how well they do so.

Rethinking due diligence practices in the apparel supply chain

Two years ago today, the Rana Plaza building in Bangladesh’s capital Dhaka collapsed, killing over 1,100 people and injuring another 2,500. The dead and injured were garment workers. This blog post looks at due diligence in the apparel supply chain.

Legislation on responsible business conduct must reinforce the wheel, not reinvent it

This article by Roel Nieuwenkamp talks about the trend of hardening of soft law in the domain of responsible business conduct. It argues that legislative proposals related to existing international instruments should not seek to reinvent the wheel, but to reinforce it. Existing instruments that are widely recognised and proven to be effective and reasonable should represent a foundation for their legally-binding counterparts.

Responsible gold also means supporting livelihoods of artisanal miners

Today the discourse on “conflict minerals” has changed. It’s not just about conflict-free, it's about promoting responsible sourcing of minerals from conflict areas, despite the challenges. This blog discusses the urgent need to create responsible supply chains of artisanal gold, and support the livelihoods of miners in the informal gold industry, and how OECD guidance can help companies do this.

2014 Annual Report on the OECD Guidelines for Multinational Enterprises

This 14th annual report on the OECD Guidelines for Multinational Enterprises describes the activities undertaken to promote the observance of the Guidelines during the implementation cycle of June 2013-June 2014. This includes work on due diligence in the financial and extractive sectors, as well as along agricultural supply chains, strengthened co-operation with non-adhering countries, the outcomes of the 2nd Global Forum.

Annual Report on the OECD Guidelines for Multinational Enterprises 2014 - Responsible Business Conduct by Sector