Paris, 28 June 2017 — Business considers the responsible conduct of companies across markets as stipulated by the OECD MNE Guidelines to be an integral part of an open investment environment, while stressing the need for practical and manageable expectations. This is the central message of a high-level conference organized by Business at OECD (BIAC) today in Paris.

The OECD Guidelines include a unique implementation mechanism in the form of National Contact Points (NCPs). “The experience with the NCP system has been mixed. In some cases, it had a clear added value for companies, in other cases it was criticized. It is therefore important to have a common understanding among all stakeholders about the nature of the NCP process as a platform for mediation and problem-solving in good faith, which is different from legal litigation,” said Winand Quaedvlieg, Chair of the BIAC Committee on Investment and Responsible Business Conduct. Business will continue to work with the OECD to underline the conditions that must be in place to facilitate the proactive engagement of business in the process.

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Paris, 28 April 2017 –“We need quick, coordinated and consistent action from G20 leaders to help improve the business and financing environment for SMEs or we risk missing out on their potential,” said Gianluca Riccio, Vice Chair of the Business at OECD Finance Task Force and author of the report. “The unintended consequences of domestic and cross border regulation, alongside access to finance and the challenges in transitioning to digital remain major barriers to growth for SMEs worldwide.”

Small and medium sized businesses remain constrained in their ability to access appropriate financing which is holding back their participation in international markets and global value chains. A new report from the Business at OECD and B20 calls on G20 leaders to follow three core recommendations to help solve this issue:

• Improve co-ordination and consultation when implementing regulation in the financial services sector
• Raise SME access to debt and equity finance by promoting successful private sector initiatives and sharing best practice
• Maximize access to data and sharing information through digital platforms, to help tackle global challenges such as cyber security

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