Human Rights and Democracy - Official Documents

emedies by victims of human rights abuses by corporate entities. Professor Ruggie
is currently preparing a set of guiding principles on business and human rights. We
believe that these should offer a sure foundation for states and businesses to
improve their human rights performance and we contributed to the public
consultation on the draft guidelines during January 2011. We are keen to see the
guidelines adopted by the Human Rights Council in June 2011.
OECD Guidelines for Multinational Enterprises
The Organisation for Economic Cooperation and Development (OECD) Guidelines
for Multinational Enterprises provide voluntary principles and standards of corporate
behaviour in areas such as human rights, the supply chain, employment and
industrial relations, the environment, and combating bribery. Governments that
adhere to the guidelines are committed to promoting compliance by businesses
wherever they are operating, as well as raising awareness of the guidelines and
implementing the complaints procedure through the setting up of National Contact
Points.
In 2010, the UK National Contact Point considered five complaints about the
behaviour of UK and overseas businesses. Of these, one related to a trade union
dispute in India, which was successfully resolved through the UK National Contact
Point’s sponsored professional mediation. Three of the complaints were related to
business activity in the UK, and the UK National Contact Point concluded that none
of the three companies involved had breached the combating bribery chapter of the
guidelines. The National Contact Point also rejected the final complaint, related to
activity in Bangladesh, at the initial assessment stage for lack of sufficient
supporting evidence. In addition, the UK National Contact Point published its first
“follow up statement” to a complaint against a company previously found to have
breached the guidelines. In September 2009, the UK National Contact Point found
that a UK company operating in India had breached various chapters, including the
human rights provision, of the guidelines. The “follow up statement” reflected the
company’s and the complainant’s responses on the implementation of the
recommendations made by the UK National Contact Point to the company.
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