Responsible Business Conduct

AICEP
Agência para o Investimento e Comércio Externo de Portugal

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Responsible Business Conduct 

AICEP is part of the Portuguese National Contact Point (PT NCP) for the OECD Guidelines for Multinational Enterprises, recommendations addressed to multinational enterprises for a Responsible Business Conduct.

 

The PT NCP is composed by the Directorate-General for Economic Activities (DGAE) and the Portuguese Agency for Investment and Foreign Trade (AICEP), which collaborate on the dissemination and implementation of the OECD Guidelines for Responsible Business Conduct, support enterprises in taking measures that comply with the Guidelines and provide a (non-judicial) mediation and conciliation platform for the resolution of complaints against enterprises on alleged breaches of the Guidelines.

 

As an integral part of the PT NCP, AICEP aims to produce content and disseminate information on the OECD Guidelines for Multinational Enterprises by the Portuguese business sector, to ensure liaison with other relevant stakeholders in the national business environment, as well as to assist in the handling of complaints that may be referred to the PT NCP.

 

An overview in PDF

OECD Guidelines for Multinational Enterprises

  

The OECD Guidelines for Multinational Enterprises are recommendations addressed by governments to multinational enterprises operating in or from adhering countries to these OECD Guidelines, presenting voluntary principles and standards for Responsible Business Conduct in accordance with applicable laws and internationally recognised standards.

 

These Guidelines are part of the OECD Declaration on International Investment and Multinational Enterprises and are the only multilaterally agreed and comprehensive code of Responsible Business Conduct that governments have committed to promote.

 

The Guidelines currently consist of 11 chapters covering the following topics: Concepts and Principles, General Policies, Disclosure, Human Rights, Employment and Industrial Relations, Environment, Combating Bribery, Bribe Solicitation and Extortion, Consumer Interests, Science and Technology, Competition, Taxation.

 

National Contact Points

 

In the framework of the OECD Guidelines for Multinational Enterprises, National Contact Points (NCPs) have been established in each of the 50 adhering countries. Their purpose is to promote the dissemination and implementation of the OECD Guidelines for Responsible Business Conduct by assisting enterprises and other stakeholders to take measures that are consistent with those Guidelines.

 

More specifically, the NCP promotes the dissemination of the OECD Guidelines for Multinational Enterprises by:

 

- Preparing an annual activity report;

- Participating in the annual meeting of NCPs;

- Implementing national dissemination events;

- Promoting contacts with stakeholders.

 

NCPs also provide a (non-judicial) mediation and conciliation platform for resolving specific instances against companies over alleged breaches of the Guidelines. Thus, any individual or organisation can file a formal complaint with the local NCP if they believe that the actions or activities of a multinational enterprise do not comply with one or more OECD recommendations.

 

For that purpose, the PT NCP (composed by DGAE and AICEP) provides, in Portuguese and in English, an Initial Application Form, as well as the Procedures Guide for the Handling of Specific Instances. After due assessment of the complaint and if non-compliance with the Guidelines is indeed verified in the company's activity, the NCP starts the treatment of the Specific Instance through a mediation process, in order to find concrete solutions to reducing or eliminating the impacts resulting from the non-compliance with the Guidelines by the multinational enterprise involved.

 

Submitting a formal complaint to the NCP   

 

Before making a formal complaint to the PT NCP regarding an alleged non-compliance with the Guidelines, we recommend consulting the PT NCP Procedure Guide for Handling Specific Instances within the scope of the OECD Guidelines for Multinational Enterprises

After reading the NCP Procedures Guide, you should complete the Initial Application for Contact with the NCP, sending it to the email pcn.portugal@dgae.gov.pt

 

Relevant documents (available at DGAE's website):

 

Information in English about the Portuguese National Contact Point for OECD Guidelines for Multinational Enterprises

 

Procedural Guidance for the Treatment of Specific Instances under the OECD Guidelines for Multinational Enterprises

 

Initial request for contact with the NCP PT

 

Mail handling of correspondence addressed to the NCP is carried out by the Directorate-General for Economic Activities.

 

Directorate-General for Economic Activities

Telephone: (00351) 217 919 100

E-mail: pcn.portugal@dgae.gov.pt

Address: Avenida Visconde Valmor, 72. 1069-041 Lisbon, Portugal (Direção de Serviços de Sustentabilidade Empresarial)

Website: www.dgae.gov.pt

 

For more information on the OECD Guidelines for Multinational Enterprises, the National Contact Point and the Annual NCP Reports on the application of the OECD Guidelines, please consult DGAE’s website: National Contact Point for Responsible Business Conduct.

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