Read the initial assessment issued by the NCP of the Netherlands – 09 January 2018

Read the final statement issued by the NCP of the Netherlands – 20 August 2018

Read the follow-up statement issued by the NCP of the Netherlands--24 June 2021

On 28 July 2017, the NCP received a submission from three NGOs regarding the operations of a subsidiary of Bresser Inc. in Hasankeyf, Turkey.

According to the submission, Bresser failed to consult the local population adequately before beginning the relocation of  the Zeynel Bey Tomb, a late 15th-century historic building, or to meaningfully include the public in planning the tomb’s conservation or relocation.  It claimed that the removal of the tomb constitutes a violation of human rights, and in particular of the human right to culture.

On 9 January 2018, the NCP published its initial assessment and concluded that the specific instance merited, in part, further consideration and offered its good offices to resolve the issue. Both parties accepted the offer of good offices and engaged in a mediated dialogue. Despite the good faith engagement of both parties no agreement was reached.

In its final statement the NCP concluded that the right to culture and/or the right to cultural heritage and its conservation should be considered a human right under the OECD Guidelines. 

The NCP recommended that Bresser include risks external to the company more explicitly in its risk-management system and publish information on its website  the key features of its risk management system.

The NCP also recommended that one year after the publication of the Final Statement an evaluation be conducted of the NCP’s recommendations. The NCP will invite both parties to a meeting for this purpose.

On 24 June 2021, the NCP issued a follow-up statement noting that the company had reached a higher level of awareness of possible risks and made progress in adhering to due diligence guidance, considering the difficulty SMEs may have in this process.