What's new at the Dutch NCP in February-March 2016?

News item | 20-04-2016 | 15:52

• The first sector agreement on International Corporate Social Responsibility (ICSR) has been finalised and stakeholders are working hard to draw up agreements for other sectors. The NCP’s key recommendation to the parties to the agreement, which covers the textile sector, was that the wording should explicitly state that the OECD Guidelines form the basis of the agreement, and that none of the provisions contained in it are intended to breach or restrict the scope or effectiveness of the Guidelines. The NCP reiterated this point explicitly at the general stakeholder meeting on ICSR agreements that was held on 15 March. The NCP welcomes requests for advice on the compatibility of other draft sector agreements with the OECD Guidelines.
   
• The NCP held a brainstorming session with NCP+ members (VNO-NCW, FNV and OECD Watch) about topics that might be suitable for the sector-wide assessments that it carries out. Ever since the NCP Establishment Order was implemented in 2014, the NCP has been able to carry out sector-wide assessments at the government’s request. It can do so in situations of ongoing serious abuses and failure to establish broader initiatives to tackle them. The assessment serves to clarify and interpret the Guidelines in a particular situation or sector and is intended to provide recommendations aimed at preventing abuses in the future. It also serves to support a social dialogue on the issue. The NCP itself also wants to be alert to potential issues and will make suggestions to the minister if appropriate.
   
• The OECD’s Working Party on Responsible Business Conduct (WPRBC) meets in Paris four times a year. The NCP attended the last WPRBC on 16 March. A key item on the OECD’s agenda is the draft General Guidance on Due Diligence. The goal is to provide practical, cross-sector guidelines for due diligence and CSR risk management that comply with the OECD Guidelines. The first draft texts will be published this spring. Check our website for updates. The NCP believes that the General Guidance is extremely important and can help clarify or explicate matters that were not adequately addressed or explained in the last revised Guidelines in 2011. For example, ‘to contribute to’ should be read to include ‘to benefit from’ (see the POSCO case). Attention should also be paid to topics like animal welfare, Informed Consultation and Participation (ICP)/Free Prior and Informed Consent (FPIC), and explaining the due diligence process. The General Guidance might also be useful in the process of concluding sector agreements.
   

• The OECD-FAO Guidance for Responsible Agricultural Supply Chains was launched in Paris on 11 March. This document incorporates provisions from various existing CSR standards that specifically relate to agri-food supply chains. It serves as a tool that companies can use to comply with these CSR standards and in this way prevent their activities from having a negative impact. The Guidance also makes clear to governments and civil society organisations what they can expect from actors in the agricultural supply chain and what rights need to be respected. The OECD will test the Guidance in the coming period by means of real-world pilot projects. The document is the result of a multi-stakeholder process. In particular, the Netherlands made sure that land rights and animal welfare were incorporated into the Guidance. Where possible, the NCP will help disseminate the Guidance in the Netherlands. Click here for more information on the OECD’s work in the field of CSR in the agricultural sector.