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 2022-mandate from the Norwegian authorities, NCP Norway will handle specific instances related to the Tripartite Declaration of Principles concerning Multinational Enterprises and Social Policy (MNE Declaration).
Core criteria
In accordance with commentary 10 on the Procedural Guidance for NCPs in the Guidelines, all NCPs shall base their work on being:
Visible
NCPs must be easily identifiable, inform stakeholders about their services, and provide a comprehensive website. Governments should publish key information and actively promote the Guidelines, potentially in cooperation with business, labour, and NGOs.
Accessible
NCPs should be easy to access, respond promptly to requests, handle cases efficiently without fees, and provide reasonable assistance such as guidance, translations, flexible deadlines, or remote participation.
Transparent
NCP activities should generally be open and transparent, including publishing annual reports, while allowing confidentiality for specific aspects of cases when necessary.
Accountable
NCPs should report on their work, seek feedback, share best practices, and participate in peer learning and evaluation to ensure continuous improvement.
Impartial and equitable
NCPs must act fairly, prevent conflicts of interest, and ensure that all parties can participate on equal terms, with clear and accessible case-handling procedures.
Predictable
NCPs should provide clear, publicly available information about their role, procedures, timelines, expectations, processes, possible outcomes, and monitoring of agreements.
Compatible with the Guidelines
NCPs will operate in accordance with the Guidelines and provide clear, publicly available information about their role, procedures, timelines, expectations, processes, possible outcomes, and monitoring of agreements.