The OECD Guidelines for Multinational Enterprises on Responsible Business Conduct describe the tasks that national contact points should perform and how they should conduct their activities.
In short, NCP Norway shall:
- Make the Guidelines known and available.
- Respond to enquiries from business, labour organisations, civil society and other stakeholders.
- Handle and contribute to resolving individual cases of observance of the Guidelines. At the end of mediation, or where dialogue or mediation does not lead to progress, NCP Norway shall publish a final statement on the specific instance with recommendations to the company.
- Report annually to the OECD investment committee.
- Share experience and discuss cases and good practices with NCPs in other countries.
- Fulfil the criteria for non-judicial grievance mechanisms as set forth by the UN and the OECD.
In line with the OECD Guidelines on Responsible Business, NCP Norway will hangle spefici instances related to the Tripartite Declaration of Principles concerning Multinational Enterprises and Social Policy (MNE Declaration)
Sentrale kriterier
I tråd med OECDs retningslinjer, kommentar 10 til Veiledende Prosedyrer for kontaktpunktene, skal alle kontaktpunkt kjennetegnes ved:
Core criteria
In accordance with the Guidelines, commentary 10 on the Procedural Guidance for NCPs, all NCPs shall be characterised by:
Visibility
Adhering governments should inform the business community, worker organisations, NGOs and other interested parties about the availability of facilities associated with NCPs. Governments are expected to publish information about their NCP and to take an active role in promoting the Guidelines (i.e. by hosting seminars and meetings, which could be done in co-operation with different stakeholders).
Accessibility
Easy access to NCPs is important to their effective functioning. NCPs respond to all legitimate requests for information and also deal with specific issues raised by different parties in an efficient and timely manner.
Transparency
Transparency contributes to the accountability of the NCP and is important for gaining the confidence of the general public. Activities of NCPs should be transparent, although it is recognised that in specific instances NCPs might take appropriate steps to establish confidentiality of the proceedings.
Accountability
A more active role in enhancing the profile of the Guidelines – and their potential to aid in the management of difficult issues between enterprises and the societies in which they operate – puts the activities of NCPs in the public eye. Nationally, parliaments could have a role to play. Annual reports and regular meetings of NCPs provide an opportunity to share experiences and encourage best practices. The OECD Investment Committee also holds exchanges of views, where experiences are exchanged and the effectiveness of the activities of NCPs could be assessed.