The OECD and Human Rights: The Case of the Guidelines for Multinational Enterprises and the National Contact Points

The Organization for Economic Co-operation and Development updated its Guidelines for Multinational Enterprises in 2011, adding a human rights chapter and bolstering its implementation mechanism, the National Contact Points. These changes align the OECD instrument with the UN Guiding Principles on Business & Human Rights, also adopted in 2011, and help to create a synergy and convergence at the international level regarding standards on corporate responsibility for human rights. They constitute an important element in the field of business and human rights, and contribute to the development of a culture of responsible business conduct.