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Summary NCP Work Plan 2016

News item | 03-03-2016 | 13:48

Each year, the NCP draws up a work plan highlighting its main tasks and responsibilities for the year ahead. The current document is a summary of the 2016 work plan.

In the coming year, the NCP will focus on:

  1. raising awareness of the OECD Guidelines in the business community
  2. working more closely with its partners
  3. the 40th anniversary of the OECD Guidelines (the overarching theme for 2016).
     

More details are given below in relation to the NCP’s two core tasks:

Core task 1:
Promoting awareness of the OECD Guidelines for Multinational Enterprises­ in the private sector and fostering their real-life application.

Core task 2:
Dealing with notifications of persons, civil society organisations and businesses that have a difference of opinion concerning the application of the Guidelines. Or facilitating a dialogue in this regard.

1) Promoting awareness of the OECD Guidelines:

  • 40th anniversary of the OECD Guidelines.
  • The overarching theme for 2016 will be: ‘40 years of the OECD Guidelines. 'Looking towards the future'.
  • Identify future issues relating to the Guidelines and the consequences for NCPs.
  • Fall 2016: NCP++ theme meeting (comprising NCP+ and key stakeholders).
  • Developing and clarifying the concept of ‘due diligence’ for businesses.
  • 19 April 2016: NCP will host a theme meeting on ­‘Due diligence in practice for businesses and the role of the NCP’.
  • Providing advice on whether the sector-based International Corporate Social Responsibility (ICSR) agreements satisfy the OECD Guidelines.
  • Assessing draft ICSR agreements against the guidelines.
  • Highlighting the concept of ‘a liveable wage in the value chain’ within the agreements.
  • Further professionalising information­ and communication­­­ policy.
  • Improving publicity for current activities and stakeholder contributions.
  • Increasing use of social media.
  • Highlighting the NCP websites as much as possible, to ensure comprehensive provision of information:

www.oesorichtlijnen.nl (in Dutch); www.oecdguidelines.nl (in English).
  • Specifically focusing on the business community to raise awareness of the NCP and the OECD Guidelines, in part by actively utilising stakeholders and their supporters.
  • Establishing links with events where the OECD Guidelines feature prominently.
  • Boardroom meetings.
  • Establishing and maintaining contact with CSR managers.
  • Economic missions: improving information on the OECD Guidelines during preparatory stage.
  • Building a network of contacts in business-oriented media.
  • Building structural ­­­ partnerships.
  • Establishing links with current projects and research­.
  • Making it clear what the NCP wants and is able to achieve with different parties.
  • Increasing information sharing.
  • Structuring NCP members’ account ownership.

2)        Dealing with notifications, facilitating dialogue and mediating:

  • The NCP deals with notifications of persons, civil society organisations and enterprises that have a difference of opinion concerning the application of the Guidelines (‘notifications of specific instances’).­
  • Focusing on an accessible notification­ procedure, providing potential notifiers with good-quality information on procedures and possibilities.
  • Using mediation, factual­ investigation and recommendations to find a solution that will prevent escalation and negative consequences.
  • Focusing on publicising the outcomes of notifications in order to raise the profile of the NCP and the OECD Guidelines. ­If possible, publicising issues that come to light through notifications of specific instances, once procedures are complete.
  • Facilitating a dialogue on the application of the Guidelines.
  • Developing a procedure for informal dialogue based on the core criteria of visibility, accessibility, transparency and accountability.­

In addition to its two core tasks, the NCP has now – at the request of the government – been given an additional task: undertaking sector-wide investigations/studies. The NCP will seek to identify sector-wide issues that lend themselves to such studies.

In an international context, the NCP supports the proactive agenda of the OECD Working Party on Responsible Business Conduct (OECD WPRBC).

The four independent members of the NCP are assisted by a secretariat comprising three civil servants.