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The 2023 Update of the OECD Guidelines sets Stronger Standards for Companies but Weak Expectations for Governments – High and Lowlights from the New Text

Published online by Cambridge University Press:  23 November 2023

Marian G. Ingrams Open the ORCID record for Marian G. Ingrams [Opens in a new window]
Marian G. Ingrams*
Affiliation:
Centre for Research on Multinational Corporations (SOMO), Amsterdam, The Netherlands
*
Email: m.ingrams@somo.nl
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Abstract

In June 2023, the OECD published ‘targeted updates’ to the newly renamed OECD Guidelines for Multinational Enterprises on Responsible Business Conduct. This piece examines some of the most significant updates from the perspective of civil society. The majority of the updates strengthen the authoritative international standards on responsible business conduct; for example, by addressing new and important topics, such as climate change, and clarifying expectations on established due diligence concepts. Meanwhile, the revised implementation procedures suggest progressive measures for governments to strengthen their National Contact Points, but largely do not require specific improvements. This piece discusses the strengths and shortcomings of these changes and assesses the impact of the updates on international norms.

Keywords

Civil societyClimate changeHuman rights and environmental due diligenceOECD Guidelines for Multinational Enterprises on Responsible Business ConductOECD National Contact Points
Type
Developments in the Field
Information
Business and Human Rights Journal , Volume 8 , Issue 3 , October 2023 , pp. 427 - 433
Copyright
© SOMO (Centre for Research on Multinational Corporations), 2023. Published by Cambridge University Press

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References

1 OECD Watch, ‘Achieving Alignment: Syncing EU Due Diligence Legislation with the Updated OECD Guidelines’ (June 2023), https://www.oecdwatch.org/achieving-alignment-synching-eu-due-diligence-legislation-with-the-updated-oecd-guidelines/ (accessed 31 July 2023).

2 Christopher Patz, ‘The EU’s Draft Corporate Sustainability Due Diligence Directive: A First Assessment’ (2022) 7 Business and Human Rights Journal 291.

3 Working Group on the Issue of Human Rights and Transnational Corporations and Other Business Enterprises, ‘The Guiding Principles on Business and Human Rights: Guidance on Ensuring Respect for Human Rights Defenders’, A/HRC/47/39/Add.2 (23 June 2021).

4 OECD Watch, ‘Updated OECD Guidelines Give Civil Society More Grounds to Demand Corporate Accountability’ (June 2023), https://www.oecdwatch.org/updated-oecd-guidelines-give-civil-society-more-grounds-to-demand-corporate-accountability/ (accessed 31 July 2023).

5 See, e.g., OECD Watch, ‘State of Remedy 2022: Examining Outcomes of Complaints Concluded in 2022, Exploring Highlights for Remedy under the Updated OECD Guidelines’ (19 July 2023), https://www.oecdwatch.org/state-of-remedy-2022/ (accessed 31 July 2023).

6 OECD, Recommendation on the Role of Government in Promoting Responsible Business Conduct (2022), https://mneguidelines.oecd.org/oecd-recommendation-on-the-role-of-government-in-promoting-rbc.htm (accessed 31 July 2023).

7 OECD, Declaration on Promoting and Enabling Responsible Business Conduct in the Global Economy (2023), https://legalinstruments.oecd.org/en/instruments/OECD-LEGAL-0489 (accessed 31 July 2023).