2011 Update

The OECD Guidelines for Multinational Enterprises (Guidelines) are the most comprehensive set of non-binding recommendations by governments to multinational enterprises addressing responsible business conduct; covering the areas of disclosure, human rights, employment and industrial relations, environment, bribery, consumer interest, science and technology, competition and taxation. Observance of the Guidelines by enterprises is voluntary and legally not enforceable.

The Guidelines were updated in 2011 following an active consultation process between the OECD, adhering governments, BIAC, TUAC and OECD Watch. The resulting negotiated update was adopted in May 2011 by the 34 OECD members and 8 non-member states. As of May 2012, there are 10 adhering non-member countries: Argentina, Brazil, Colombia, Egypt, Morocco, Latvia, Lithuania, Peru, Romania and Tunisia.

The Guidelines are part of the OECD Declaration on International Investment and Multinational Enterprises (Declaration), which represents a broader, balanced package of instruments, rights and commitments aimed at promoting foreign investment. The Guidelines have been included in the Declaration to promote good corporate behaviour which helps to maximise the benefits from foreign investment for economically, environmentally and socially sustainable development.

Implementation

The success of the Guidelines will to a large extent depend on their ability to contribute to a global level playing field for business. BIAC will thus continue to urge OECD to undertake determined efforts to encourage emerging markets to adhere to the Guidelines.

Their success is also highly dependent on business’ activities to raise awareness and incorporate the Guidelines in their own codes of conduct for improving corporate responsibility.

BIAC is committed to constructively assist affiliated companies to follow the recommendations of the updated Guidelines and to develop initiatives for the effective implementation of the Guidelines in cooperation with OECD.

Guidelines Webcast held on 9 May 2012

On 9 May 2012 BIAC offered a webcast on the updated MNE Guidelines to discuss with several business leaders from around the world the 2011 update to the MNE Guidelines and their overall implications for responsible business conduct in today’s global economy. OECD Secretary General Angel Gurría joined the webcast to offer his perspective on strengthening trust and growth in the capital markets through responsible business conduct. The webcast informed BIAC members about recent developments with regard to the Guidelines and allowed to share some background information on specific developments and recent experiences with each other. The webcast was kindly sponsored by Deloitte. A playback of the webcast is available here.

25 May 2011 OECD website on Updated OECD Guidelines for Multinational Enterprises

Guidelines Brochure

November 2011 VNO-NCW/BDA Brochure on the OECD MNE Guidelines (also available in German, Hebrew and Portuguese)

Additional reading

22 November 2012 Speech by Peter Clever at BDA-OECD Symposium

22 November 2012 Speech by Winand Quaedvlieg at BDA-OECD Symposium

15 October 2012 BIAC Secretary General's Speech at OECD-ESCAP Conference

19-20 June 2012 BIAC Survey of Member Companies’ Experiences in NCP Specific Instance Procedures and Recommendations for National Contact Points

9 May 2012  Webcast Presentation on the OECD Guidelines for Multinational Enterprises: responsible business conduct in today’s global economy

17 January 2012 BIAC Secretary General's Article on “Towards the successful implementation of the updated OECD Guidelines for Multinational Enterprises”

July 2011 BIAC Secretariat Note on the Outcome of the Updated OECD MNE Guidelines

25-26 May 2011 BIAC Statement on the Adoption of the Update of the OECD Guidelines for Multinational Enterprises at the OECD Ministerial Council Meeting

 

For further information, please contact Ms. Hanni Rosenbaum (rosenbaum@biac.org) at the BIAC Secretariat