Presentation of the role and impact of the National Focal Point to BGlobal magazine
On 11th July 2022, an article was published in the magazine “BGlobal”, where the chairman of the National Contact Point (NCP) of Bulgaria, Dr. Boyko Takov, also serving as the Executive director of the Bulgarian SMEs Promotion Agency (BSMEPA), introduced the role of the National Contact Point. In the interview, Dr. Boyko Takov talked about the Organization for Economic Cooperation and Development (OECD), the mechanisms for responsible business conduct, as well as about the role of the NCP with some exemplary specific instances that usually reach it and its impact.
According to Dr. Boyko Takov, Bulgaria’s accession to the OECD is the next big step that our country is about to take. One effect is that the country will become a more attractive place for foreign investment. The OECD clearly recognizes that international investments are of great importance to the global economy and contribute to the development of countries, whereas multinational companies play an important role in this process.
He also shared that “The NCP mechanism is a platform for mediation in solving specific instances that may arise in the operation of the given businesses. Without being a judicial mechanism, complaints about non-observance of the standards for responsible business conduct can be made and addressed through it.”
One of the presented examples was related to the company Deutsche Post, DHL and UNI/ITF (2014), where the German NCT reviewed cases related to the rights of DHL workers in several countries in which it operated, including their right to form and join trade unions. Through the mediation of this mechanism, the parties resolve a specific instance and agreed on a protocol for commitment in ongoing quarterly dialogue meetings and meetings on these topics with continued support from the NCP. Since then, this protocol has been expanded and revised several times.
In conclusion, Dr. Takov shares that the cases clearly show that the scope of the impact can go far beyond the practice of one specific company and one individual country. Currently, there are National Contact Points established in 49 countries. They have resolved more than 500 cases in over 100 countries related to responsible business conduct issues.
OECD headquarters in Paris
Source: BSMEPA