The National Contact Points of Bulgaria and Spain, together with the Secretariat of the Organisation for Economic Cooperation and Development (OECD), participated in the peer review of the Austrian National Contact Point for Responsible Business Conduct (NCP).

In order to ensure the effectiveness of the National Contact Points for Responsible Business Conduct (NCP), periodic peer reviews are carried out in accordance with the OECD Guidelines for Multinational Enterprises.

The report from the review of the Austrian NCP found that the point is strongly committed to its promotional activities, but also that there is clear scope for strengthening its structure and mechanism for addressing specific cases submitted by stakeholders. NCPs are the mechanisms for implementing the OECD Guidelines for Multinational Enterprises. They promote compliance with the Guidelines and act as an extrajudicial mechanism for addressing specific cases.

The main strengths of the Austrian NCP according to the report are as follows:

Stakeholders value the expertise of the National Contact Point (NCP) on responsible business conduct and its advisory body

The NCP demonstrates a strong promotional commitment, with highly regarded events that encourage constructive discussions.

The NCP plays an active role in shaping EU and international policy on CSR.

Improvements are needed in the following areas:

Current human resources may not be sufficient to cope with the increasing number of cases and ensure their timely handling.

The NCP’s structure as a single unit within the Ministry of Economic Affairs and Tourism leads some stakeholders to question perceptions of impartiality.

The NCP could use its expertise more widely, to promote CSR and to handle specific cases.

The OECD recommends that Austria continue to build on its strong practices by engaging with the policy community to further align Austrian policies with the OECD Guidelines for Multinational Enterprises on Responsible Business Conduct. As expectations for responsible business conduct continue to rise, ensuring that NCPs are well-resourced, credible and accessible is increasingly important.

Learn more about the peer review of the Austrian NCP: https://lnkd.in/dqN8PqxC