The Bulgarian SME Promotion Agency, in its capacity as a National Contact Point for Responsible Business Conduct of the Organization for Economic Co-operation and Development (OECD), was invited to share more about responsible business conduct with the Bulgarian National Radio (BNR).

In his interview with BNR, the head of Bulgaria’s NCP, Boyko Takov, PhD, started by saying that our country is in the process of joining the OECD and that our country is the 51st point of contact, and he dares to claim that already the foundations have been laid for it to work.

“Responsible business conduct is the way a business looks at the human capital in a company, but not only because it also includes its accompanying environment. This includes human rights, social issues, the environment, anti-corruption, taxation, consumer interest, innovation, etc. A huge number of topics and all of them are linked to good practices and Guidelines in these areas. The Organization for Economic Cooperation and Development has developed Guidelines for Responsible Business Conduct of Multinational Enterprises, which contain the aforementioned directions. It should be said that a multinational company is considered if it participates in activities in foreign markets related to trade or investment, regardless of size,” says Boyko Takov, PhD.

The National Contact Point may be referred to any non-compliance with these Guidelines. This mechanism has been functioning since 2000 and nearly 600 specific cases of companies in 100 countries have been examined, adds Boyko Takov, PhD.

The standards developed in the field of the environment, although optional, are extremely important for the competitiveness of companies in different markets and their inclusion in supply chains. In this sense, the connection with Environmental, Social and Corporate Governance (ESG) as well as with Corporate Social Responsibility (CSR) is very close. The standards are also directly related to ensuring the safety of society as a whole, giving guidelines for better control over the quality of air, water, soil, waste, as well as their reduction and subsequent recycling.

It is necessary to increase the awareness of Bulgarian enterprises about the possibilities and advantages of responsible business conduct, as a prerequisite for sustainable economic growth and competitiveness in the process of internationalization.

 

The entire interview can be found at the following internet link: https://bnr.bg/post/101912216/d-r-boiko-takov