Annual Report on the OECD Guidelines for Multinational Enterprises 2013 : Responsible Business Conduct in Action.

The OECD Guidelines for Multinational Enterprises aim to help businesses meet the challenge of acting responsibly in any country they operate by providing a global framework for responsible conduct covering all areas of business ethics. While observance of the Guidelines by enterprises is voluntary and not legally enforceable, adhering governments are committed to promoting their observance among enterprises. This Annual Report describes what adhering governments have done to live up to their commitment over the 12 months to June 2013 . In particular it highlights the mediation and consensus b. Read more... Foreword Table of contents Acronyms and abbreviations Executive summary Achievements and looking forward Innovations in NCPs institutional arrangements Communication and promotion of the Guidelines Specific instances: An increasingly challenging task for NCPs Proactive agenda Outreach and supporting activities Priorities for the next implementation cycle a) Better communicating expectations on the Guidelines b) Enhancing functional equivalence c) Proactive agenda d) Intensifying outreach Notes Chapter 1. The activities of National Contact Points. NCP organisation: Increased involvement of government officials, experts and stakeholdersStructure, innovations and reforms ahead Figure 1.1. NCP Structure Focus: New and reformed NCPs Box 1.1. The reform of the Danish NCP: Mediation and Complaints-Handling Institution for RBC Advisory bodies: The new multi-stakeholder board in Switzerland Figure 1.2. Does the NCP have an advisory body? Oversight bodies: Australian and Chilean innovations Box 1.2. Switzerland multi-stakeholder advisory board Figure 1.3. Does the NCP have an oversight body? Reporting within governments. Figure 1.4. Does the NCP report with the government?Information and promotion activities: New tools and increased co-operative efforts Box 1.3. The first year of Colombia's NCP The Guidelines translated in 25 languages Promotional plans and new tools -- selected examples Box 1.4. Morocco's NCP action plan for 2013: Focus on promotion Selected events organised by NCPs and national stakeholders5 Raising awareness through the embassies -- selected examples Surveys and data collection Focus: Co-operation at national and international level. Box 1.5. International Expert Workshop "Business Impacts and Non-Judicial Access to Remedy: Emerging Global Experience" Toronto, 29-30 April 2013Box 1.6. International Workshop "The OECD Guidelines for responsible business conduct: Building Multilateral Co-operation with the OECD NCP Brazil", Brasilia, 28 January 2013 Box 1.7. Workshop for National Contact Points "Mediation and informal problem solving", Salzburg, 23-25 September 2012 Investment promotion, export credit and investment guarantee agencies Specific instances: Concluded and new. More NCPs developed procedures to handle specific instancesOverview of specific instances in the reporting period Outcomes of concluded specific instances New specific instances Figure 1.5. Source of new specific instances Figure 1.6. Location of new specific instances Figure 1.7. Industry sectors concerned by new specific instances Figure 1.8. Guidelines chapters -- citations in new specific instances Co-operation among NCPs Notes Annex 1.A1. Statement on the Rana Plaza tragedy Annex 1.A2. NCP structures and advisory/oversight bodies. This report, the thirteenth in a series, reviews the activities undertaken to promote the observance of the OECD Guidelines for Multinational Enterprises (the Guidelines) during the implementation cycle of June 2012-June 2013. It also aims to help businesses, labour unions and NGOs meet the challenge by providing a global framework for responsible business conduct covering all areas of business ethics, including tax, competition, disclosure, anti-corruption, labour and human rights, and environment. While observance of the Guidelines by enterprises is voluntary and not legally enforceable, adhering governments must establish a National Contact Point to promote their observance and to making them influential among companies operating in or from their territories