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The 2000 Review of the OECD Guidelines for Multinational Enterprises

Published online by Cambridge University Press:  17 January 2008

Stephen Tully
Stephen Tully
Affiliation:
Research Student, London School of Economics and Political Science, University of London.
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Extract

On 27 June 2000, the updated Guidelines for Multinational Enterprises (the Guidelines) were adopted by the 29 Member States of the Organisation for Economic Co-operation and Development (OECD) together with the observer governments of Argentina, Brazil, Chile and the Slovak Republic. The Ministerial Conference Chairman, Mr Peter Costello, described the 2000 Review as heralding the most “far reaching changes” to the Guidelines since their introduction in 1976.1 This note proposes to consider only the most noteworthy among them.2 Accordingly, it will not examine those elements that have merely been reaffirmed by the 2000 Review. However, the conclusions will be made that the Chairman's sentiments are only observable in the ongoing textual development of the Guidelines and that the all-important implementation mechanism has only been improved by half-measure

Type
Shorter Articles, Comments and Notes
Information
International & Comparative Law Quarterly , Volume 50 , Issue 2 , April 2001 , pp. 394 - 404
Copyright
Copyright © British Institute of International and Comparative Law 2001

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References

1. Statement by the Conference Chair, Ministerial Special Session on the Revision of the OECD Guidelines for Multinational Enterprises, 27 June 2000.

2. The following citations together with the new OECD Guidelines appear at http://www.oecd.org/daf and http://www.biac.org. For a previous version of the Guidelines, see The OECD Declaration and Decisions on International Investment and Multinational Enterprises: Basic Texts, OECD Doc OECD/GD(97)36.

3. OECD, Conference on the OECD Guidelines for Multinational Enterprises: Summary of Proceedings, Budapest, Hungary, 16–18 Nov. 1998, OECD Doc DAFFE/IME (98)18, p.8.Google Scholar

4. For contributions, see e.g. OECD Doc DAFFE/IME/WPG/RD(99)8 (TUAC), OECD Doc DAFFE/IME/WPG/RD(99)11 and OECD Doc DAFFE/IME/WPG/RD (2000)6 (BIAC) and OECD Doc DAFFE/IME/WPG/RD(99)13 (NGOs).

5. OECD, Review of the OECD Guidelines for Multinational Enterprises: Public Comments, 17 Feb. 2000, OECD Doc DAFFE/IME/WPG/RD(2000)4/REV1.

6. BIAC, Comments on the Review of the OECD Guidelines for Multinational Enterprises, 2nd Ed, 8 12 1999, p.4.Google Scholar

7. OECD, Labour and Employment Practices in Today's Global Economy: Implications for the OECD Guidelines on Multinational Enterprises, Paris, 10 03 1999, OECD Doc PAC/AFF/LMP(99)5, p.12.Google Scholar

8. TUAC Initial Submission on the 1999 Review of the OECD Guidelines for Multinational Enterprises, undated, p.2.

9. TUAC Summary Report, Consultations with the CIME on the Review of the OECD Guidelines for Multinational Enterprises, 17–18 02 2000, Paris, p.2.Google Scholar

10. See e.g. OECD Doc DAFFE/IME(98)12 (France)Google Scholar and OECD Doc DAFFE/IME(97)16 (U.K.).Google Scholar

11. Letter dated 28 April 1999 from Lamborghini B., BIAC MNEs Committee Chairman to H.E. Baldi M., OECD CIME Chairman, OECD Doc DAFFE/IME(99)13.

12. OECD, Review of the OECD Guidelines for Multinational Enterprises: Aide-Memoire of the Informal Consultation between Non-Members and the Extended CIME Bureau, 23 Feb. 2000, para.11.

13. OECD Press Release, “Shaping Globalisation”, Paris, 27 June 2000, paras.14, 20.

14. OECD, Review of the OECD Guidelines for Multinational Enterprises: Framework for the Review, 21 May 1999, p.7.

15. OECD, Codes of Corporate Conduct—An Inventory, OECD Doc TD/TC/WP(98)74.

16. OECD, Review of the OECD Guidelines for Multinational Enterprises: Environmental Content of the Guidelines, March 1999, para.12.

17. OECD Press Release supra n.13 para.41.

18. OECD, Draft Guidelines for Multinational Enterprises, 16 May 2000, OECD Doc DAFFE/IME/WPG(99)18/REV6.

19. TUAC Secretariat, Comments on the Draft Integrated Text—Chapters and Commentary, 17 Dec. 1999.

20. Cf. 1997 OECD Convention on Combating Bribery of Foreign Public Officials in International Business Transactions (entry into force 15 Feb. 1999) reproduced 37 I.L.M. 1 (1998).Google Scholar

21. Note also “geographic area” as defined by the previous version of the Disclosure Chapter.

22. BIAC's ELSA Committee Submission, Contribution on the Employment and Industrial Relations Chapter of the OECD Guidelines for Multinational Enterprises, circa 9–10 March 1999, p.2.

23. BIAC Submission on Environmental Management, Attachment to Letter dated 17 June 1999 from Lamborghini B., Chairman of BIAC's MNEs Committee to Sikkel M. W., Chair of the Working Party on the OECD Guidelines for Multinational Enterprises.

24. OECD, Aide-Memoire of the Informal Consultations between BIAC, TUAC, NGOs and the CIME on Investment Issues and the Review of the OECD Guidelines for Multinational Enterprises, 8 Dec. 1999, para.8.

25. BIAC Statement on the Preparation of the 1998 Review of the OECD Guidelines for Multinational Enterprises, Sept. 1998, p.3.

26. See e.g. OECD, Implementation of the Guidelines for Multinational Enterprises and National Contact Points, OECD Doc DAFFE/IME/WPG(2000)2; OECD, Verification, Voluntary Codes and the Guidelines: Background and Issues for Discussion, OECD Doc DAFFE/IME/WPG(2000)3.

27. TUAC Submission, CIME Working Party on the Review of the OECD Guidelines for Multinational Enterprises, Dec. 1999.

28. OECD, Aide-Memoire of the Informal Consultations between BIAC, TUAC, NGOs and the CIME on the Review of the OECD Guidelines for Multinational Enterprises, 17–18 Feb. 2000, p.2.

29. OECD, Aide-Memoire on the Consultations on the OECD Guidelines for Multinational Enterprises, Paris, 19 April 1999, para.35.

30. “OECD agrees global company code”, Financial Times, 28 June 2000.Google Scholar

31. In addition to the Guidelines which were annexed to the 1976 OECD Declaration on International Investment and Multinational Enterprises were three legally binding Council Decisions relating to National Treatment, International Investment Incentives and Disincentives and Conflicting Requirements.

32. OECD, Second Revised Decision of the OECD Council on the Guidelines for MNEs amended June 1991 in Basic Texts supra n.2.

33. TUAC Press Release, “Action Required Now to Implement the Revised OECD Guidelines for Multinational Enterprises', 27 June 2000.

34. See U.S. Department of State Press Statement, “OECD Guidelines for Multinational Enterprises', 27 June 2000; U.K. Department of Trade and Industry, Press Release P/2000/444, “Caborn Champions International Code of Conduct for Multinational Enterprises”, 27 June 2000; OECD, Statements made on the adoption of the Review 2000, 27 June 2000.

35. Statement by Evans J., TUAC General Secretary, “OECD Ministerial Council Conference on the Adoption of the OECD Guidelines for Multinational Enterprises”, 27 June 2000.

36. Statement to Governments adhering to the OECD Multinational Enterprise Guidelines from interested NGOs, 6 June 2000, para.5.

37. BIAC Statement at the Ministerial Special Session on the Revision of the OECD Guidelines for Multinational Enterprises, 27 June 2000.

38. OECD, OECD Guidelines for Multinational Enterprises: Frequently Asked Questions, 27 June 2000.

39. OECD, Conference on Foreign Direct Investment and the Environment: Summary of the Discussion, OECD Doc CCNM/EMEF/EPOC/CIME(98)7.

40. TUAC Briefing Note for Affiliates, The Review of the OECD Guidelines for Multinational Enterprises, Dec. 1999, p.7.Google Scholar