UK National Contact Point for the OECD Guidelines for Multinational Enterprises
The OECD (Organisation for Economic Cooperation and Development) Guidelines for Multinational Enterprises provide voluntary principles and standards that the UK government encourages UK businesses to comply with wherever they are trading and operating.
What are the OECD Guidelines?
The OECD Guidelines (*) are recommendations on responsible business conduct addressed by Governments to multinationals operating in or from their territories. The OECD Guidelines cover a broad range of issues, including: due diligence in the supply chain; disclosure; human rights; employment and industrial relations; environment; combating bribery; consumer interests; science and technology; competition; and taxation. They also include a complaint mechanism.
The following countries adhere to the OECD Guidelines:
OECD members (34)
Australia, Austria, Belgium, Canada, Chile, Czech Republic, Denmark, Estonia, Finland, France, Germany, Greece, Hungary, Iceland, Ireland, Israel, Italy, Japan, South Korea, Luxembourg, Mexico, the Netherlands, New Zealand, Norway, Poland, Portugal, Slovak Republic, Slovenia, Spain, Sweden, Switzerland, Turkey, United Kingdom, United States.
Non-OECD members (8)
Argentina, Brazil, Egypt, Latvia, Lithuania, Morocco, Peru, Romania.
What are the National Contact Points?
Each adhering country must set up a National Contact Point (NCP) with the tasks of: (a) raising awareness of the OECD Guidelines with businesses, trade unions and non-governmental organisations; and (b) implementing the OECD Guidelines’ complaint mechanism.
The UK NCP is based in the Department for Business, Innovation and Skills (BIS) and is also partly funded by the Department for International Development (DFID). For more information on the UK NCP, please download our booklet:
(*) Please note that on 25 May 2011, the OECD endorsed an update to the guidelines. The UK NCP will apply the updated text with effect from 1 September 2011.
