OECD Updated Guidelines for Multinational Enterprises on Responsible Business Conduct

On 8 June 2023, the OECD launched updated Guidelines for Multinational Enterprises on Responsible Business Conduct. The OECD Guidelines, which were first established in 1976, are an internationally agreed set of responsible business conduct standards covering topics such as human rights, the environment, use of technology, anti-corruption and more.

The OECD Guidelines provide useful advice on where companies should focus their responsible business conduct due diligence efforts when they operate internationally.

The OECD Guidelines are voluntary for multinational companies to follow. However, the Australian Government expects multinationals operating in Australia, or from Australia, to adhere to them.

The 2023 update to the OECD Guidelines brings them into line with contemporary expectations of companies and includes recommendations for businesses in relation to climate change, biodiversity, technology, business integrity and supply chain due diligence.

Learn about the new updates here: mneguidelines.oecd.org/mneguidelines - Key Updates.

The Australian National Contact Point for Responsible Business Conduct (AusNCP) leads the Australian Government’s work to implement the OECD Guidelines. For more resources on responsible business conduct and how to conduct due diligence on operations and supply chain, see the Australian National Contact Point for Responsible Business Conduct’s (AusNCP) website.