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Promoting Responsible Business Conduct in Latin America and the Caribbean

 

 

About the project

 

The Responsible business conduct in Latin America and the Caribbean project, implemented together with the International Labour Organization (ILO), the United Nations Office of the High Commissioner for Human Rights (OHCHR) and the European Union (EU), aims to promote smart, sustainable and inclusive growth in the EU and Latin America and Caribbean by supporting responsible business conduct practices in line with the OECD, UN, and ILO instruments. It is the first time these three organisations join forces with the support of the EU to promote responsible business conduct within the framework of a joint regional project, which is being implemented over a period of four years (2019-2022).

 

The RBC-LAC Project supports governments, businesses and stakeholders in their efforts to promote and uphold responsible business conduct in line with international standards, thorough a mix of regional and country-specific activities in Argentina, Brazil, Chile, Colombia, Costa Rica, Ecuador, Mexico, Panama and Peru.

 

Activities will build on the OECD’s experience in promoting RBC policies, the effective uptake by companies of the OECD guidance on due diligence in various sectors, including minerals/extractives, agriculture, garment and footwear, and financial sectors and strengthening access to remedy through the National Contact Points for RBC . Activities will include capacity building, research, convening of stakeholders and peer learning.

 

The project will be undertaken in partnership with Chile and Mexico, both OECD members, as well Argentina, Brazil, Colombia, Costa Rica and Peru, which have all adhered to the OECD Guidelines for Multinational Enterprises and have set up a NCP, and two partner economies, namely Ecuador and Panama.

 

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Upcoming events

2019 

  • Workshop on Responsible Business Conduct, Ciudad de México, México, 6 September 
  • Launch of the project in Peru, Lima, Perú, 23 September 
  • Presentation of the OECD-FAO Guidance on responsible supply chains in the agricultural sector, Lima, Perú, 25 September
  • Workshop for the presentation of the OECD Due Diligence Guidance for Responsible Supply Chains of Minerals from Conflict-Affected and High-Risk Areas in the National Mining, Petroleum and Energy Society, Lima, Perú, 25 September
  • Regional workshop with the EU on the supply chain of bananas, Lima, Perú, 26 September
  • Due diligence in human rights and sustainability, Bogotá, Colombia, 2 October
  • Seminar on Business and Human Rights: Reflections and Contributions for a National Agenda in Brazil, Brasilia, Brazil, 15 October 

Consult previous events

  
News

Interview with Froukje Boele, Manager of the RBC-LAC project, ComunicarSe, 17 July 2019


Documents and links

 

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What is Responsible Business Conduct ?

Responsible business conduct (RBC) means that all businesses – regardless of their legal status, size, ownership structure or sector – avoid and address negative consequences of their operations, while contributing to sustainable development of the countries where they operate. RBC means integrating and considering environmental and social issues within core business activities, including throughout the supply chain and business relationships. A key element of RBC is risk-based due diligence – a process through which businesses identify, prevent and mitigate their actual and potential negative impacts and account for how those impacts are addressed.

 

Responsible Business Conduct: key messages of the international instruments (Español) 

 

Role of National Contact Points for RBC 

Seven out of the nine countries targeted by the RBC-LAC Project are Adherents to the OECD Guidelines and therefore have National Contact Points for Responsible Business Conduct (NCPs for RBC) in place. NCPs are agencies established by governments. Their mandate is twofold: to promote the OECD Guidelines for Multinational Enterprises, and related due diligence guidance, and to handle cases (referred to as “specific instances”) as a non-judicial grievance mechanism. To date, 48 governments have an NCP for RBC.

Within the RBC-LAC Project, NCPs also play an important role in supporting the continuity of all activities to be undertaken under the OECD actions and engaging in follow-up capacity building. LAC NCPs include : Argentina, Brazil, Chile, ‎Colombia, Costa Rica, Mexico, Peru. 

 

Contact 

For more information on this project :

Froukje Boele | Project Manager Froukje.BOELE@oecd.org

Germán Zarama | Regional Focal Point German.ZARAMA@oecd.org

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With funding by the European Union

 

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