A roundtable discussion for the Nordic NCPs took place on November 14, 2012 in conjunction with the Ministry of Foreign Affairs’ international CSR conference the same week. The Norwegian NCP had received support for roundtable from the Nordic Council.
The roundtable conference was part of the Norwegian NCP’s initiative for coordination between NCPs in all countries that adhere to the OECD Guidelines for Responsible Business.
If NCPs are to work as intended, it is essential that we achieve functional equivalence between them. Representatives from Denmark, Finland, Iceland, Norway and Sweden discussed the possibility of enhanced Nordic cooperation. The meeting was chaired by John Morrison (IHRB) with contributions from Caroline Rees (Shift). The main topics were how the different contact points are organized, the various models’ weaknesses and strengths, complaints, and how information about the OECD Guidelines is best shared. It was agreed that Nordic cooperation will continue in conjunction with the existing arrangements. The focus should be on cooperation with specific instances and the efficiency of NCP’s work, by sharing and creating joint information material.
The Norwegian NCP cooperates with relevant NCPs in specific instances. With the receipt of a new complaint against Statkraft, involving both the Norwegian and Swedish NCPs, there is an opportunity to put Nordic cooperation into practice.
All involved expressed the hope that Nordic cooperation could serve as a model for further regional NCP cooperation in the future.