Date and venue: 7 September 2026, Government Quarter

Hosts: The National Contact Point for Responsible Business Conduct, Norway, together with the Ministry of Foreign Affairs and the Ministry of Trade, Industry and Fisheries.

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This year marks 50 years since the OECD Guidelines for Multinational Enterprises on Responsible Business Conduct were adopted – the world’s leading global standard for responsible business conduct. The Guidelines are recommendations from governments to enterprises. Norway has been an active contributor since the very beginning. The anniversary in 2026 gives an important opportunity to highlight the importance of the Guidelines in a context marked by geopolitical instability, technological transformation, planetary crises, and expectations regarding due diligence and transparency. The event will demonstrate how the Guidelines can support public authorities, enterprises, trade unions and civil society and will explore the following key themes.

• Just transition: A green energy transition is necessary to reduce the negative impacts of climate change. At the same time, it is driving a rapid increase in the global demand for minerals and land for solar and wind power. The World Bank has estimated that more than half of the world’s known reserves of critical minerals are located on or near Indigenous Peoples’ lands. A just transition concerns how this shift can be carried out in a way that safeguards human rights, nature and local communities.

• The Transparency Act – experiences to date and the road ahead: Norway’s Transparency Act makes the OECD’s due diligence framework a legal requirement and grants the public a right to information from companies. What are the experiences after four years of implementation? What should be done to ensure that the Act promotes human rights and contributes to a level playing field? After several rounds of negotiations, the EU Corporate Sustainability Due Diligence Directive (CSDDD) was finally adopted in the spring of 2026. How will this affect the Transparency Act?

• Access to remedy: Access to effective grievance mechanisms and remedy for adverse labour and other human rights impacts remains a key challenge for state and non-state actors. What lessons can be learned from the FIFA World Cup and other mega-sport events when it comes to establishing mechanisms that can deliver real and effective remedy in the future? This part of the program is developed in collaboration with the Norwegian Football Federation.