Promoting Responsible Supply Chains in China

About the project

The OECD has worked with key Asian partners for a number of years to promote responsible investment and RBC. Under this programme, implemented together with the International Labour Organisation and the European Union, the OECD contributed its extensive expertise on trade and investment and on risk-based RBC due diligence to support in-country policy developments and action to create an enabling environment for Responsible Business Conduct (RBC), to boost industry capacity and to raise awareness of the importance of RBC.

The programme took place over 4 years (2018-2022) in partnership with Japan and five other partner economies, namely China, Thailand, Viet Nam, the Philippines, and Myanmar.

Responsible supply chains in China

China is a key partner country of the OECD. Collaboration on RBC focuses on supporting the alignment of the Chinese RBC sector standards with international standards. The partnership under the project builds on the development and promotion of the Chinese Due Diligence Guidelines for Responsible Mineral Supply Chains (which is based on the OECD Due Diligence Guidance for Responsible Supply Chains of Minerals from Conflict-Affected Areas) and the active participation of China in the development of the OECD Due Diligence Guidance for the Garment and Footwear Sector and cooperation on its implementation.

Find out more about country specific programme objectives  ENG | CHN

Awareness raising and capacity building

Events

Boao Forum for Asia, Global Economic Development & Security Forum Conference - Responsible business conduct for a sustainable and resilient recovery 20 October 2021

This session examined the utility of RBC principles and tools in ensuring a sustainable and resilient recovery from health, economic and social crises. Speakers shared their views on how we can ensure expectations on responsible business conduct– including those capturing environmental, social and labour objectives at the heart of policy responses and business actions. 

Read the concept note (ENG) | CHN 

 Read the press release

E-Learning

The OECD e-learning Academy on Responsible Business Conduct provides learners with a unique opportunity to advance their knowledge of responsible business conduct and OECD risk-based due diligence.

Self-paced, free online courses (currently avilable in English) include:

• The Essentials of OECD Due Diligence for Responsible Business Conduct
• OECD Due Diligence for Agriculture and Seafood Supply Chains
• OECD Due Diligence for Garment and Footwear Supply Chains
• OECD Due Diligence for Electronics and Vehicle Parts Supply Chains

Media coverage

• China Sustainability Tribune- Responsible Business Conduct: The Path to Resilient Recovery and Sustainable Development ENG | CHN
• IFNES Interview with EU Ambassador CHN
• Sohu.com 博鳌时间丨什么是负责任商业行为“最佳实践”？CHN
• Speech delivered by H.E. Nicolas Chapuis, Ambassador, European Union Delegation to China ENG | CHN

Articles

China Sustainability Tribune, Dialogue | "Determining” responsibility, the survival of enterprises in the new era (对话｜责任“定位”，新时代企业的生存之道), November 2019

The China Sustainability Tribune is a leading magazine on RBC, CSR and sustainability topics in China and under the supervision of the Chinese Ministry of Commerce. Its “Dialogue” series is a monthly discussion of cutting-edge developments in sustainability, including trends in China, across the globe and at the corporate practice level.

Businesses are facing evolving expectations in the new era with interconnected markets. The role and responsibility of businesses are growing in the face of increasingly severe global challenges such as climate change and social inequality. In this exchange, 对话｜责任“定位”，新时代企业的生存之道 (Dialogue│"Determining" responsibility, the survival of enterprises in the new era), Cristina Tébar-Less, former Acting Head of OECD Centre for Responsible Business Conduct, underlines the importance of responsible business and risk-based due diligence to continue to ensure responsible supply chains in China and abroad, shares her thoughts on the value of RBC for enterprises and the achievement of SDGs as well as the prospects of cooperation between China and the OECD on RBC in the future.  

Read the article published in Chinese

Videos and Presentations 

Presentation on the OECD RBC and risk-based due diligence approach from the ILO-MOHRSS CSR Workshop for Facilitators in Beijing, China 24 October 2019 (presented in Chinese)

 Documents & Links

• OECD Guidelines for Multinational Enterprises ENG | CHN

• OECD Due Diligence Guidance for Responsible Business Conduct ENG | CHN 

• Responsible Business: Key Message from International Instruments ENG | CHN

• OECD Due Diligence Guidance for Responsible Supply Chains of Minerals from  Conflict-Affected and High-Risk  Areas 
  
  Guidance ENG | CHN 
  Flyer ENG | CHN (coming soon)

• OECD Due Diligence Guidance for Responsible Supply Chains in the Garment and Footwear Sector 
  
  Guidance ENG | CHN 
  Flyer  ENG | CHN (Coming soon)

• OECD-FAO Guidance for Responsible Agricultural Supply Chains 
  
  Guidance ENG | CHN 
  Flyer ENG

• Building More Resilient and Sustainable Global Value Chains through Responsible Business Conduct ENG | CHN (coming soon)

• China’s SASAC releases Guidelines on Compliance Management for Central SOEs 中国国资委发布《中央企业合规管理指引（试行）CHN

• Editorial: China releases nationalwide “negative list” (China Daily) ENG

• The Essentials: Characteristics of Due Diligence ENG | CHN

• Glossary of Technical terms ENG

Events

Consult the events page for all published materials linked to China outreach and events

Questions or comments? Contact us:

Jingjing CHEN‌

jingjing.chen@oecd.org

rbc@oecd.org | rsca@ilo.org