Corporate-dominated globalization, largely seen as the source of the current financial and economic crises, has led to an increasing demand for corporate accountability. While business has the capability to bring growth and prosperity worldwide, without a strong regulatory framework also irresponsible corporate behaviour can lead to significant adverse effects such as corruption, pollution, loss of land and livelihood, and human rights violations.

The OECD Guidelines for Multinational Enterprises (“the Guidelines”) represent a unique instrument for promoting corporate accountability. The Guidelines cover a wide range of corporate accountability issues including human rights, the environment, labour rights, disclosure and supply chain responsibility). Furthermore, the Guidelines are one of the few international government-backed instruments for corporate accountability and the only one equipped with a complaints mechanism for resolving disputes between corporations and the individuals or communities affected by corporate misbehaviour. If corporations fail to uphold the principles laid down in the Guidelines, the specific instance mechanism allows affected parties to file cases against the irresponsible company or companies at the relevant National Contact Point (NCP).

In May 2011 the 42 OECD and adhering governments approved updated Guidelines. The updated Guidelines introduce substantial new provisions in areas such as human rights, due diligence, and supply chain responsibility.

OECD Watch is an international network of more than 80 civil society organizations in the Global South and North promoting corporate accountability. One of OECD Watch’s aims is to test the effectiveness of the OECD Guidelines. The network is also involved in building civil society capacity on the OECD Guidelines and other corporate accountability instruments and issues.

In this context, Cividep-India, a member of the Coordination Committee of OECD Watch, is organizing this capacity building seminar in cooperation with the Mine Labour Protection Campaign.

The focus of this training session will be on the OECD Guidelines for MNEs and the possibilities for affected individuals, communities and workers to use the grievance mechanism for holding MNEs to account. The updated OECD Guidelines now have a dedicated human rights chapter, which includes reference to the rights of amongst others, indigenous peoples.The training session will in particular focus on human and labour rights in the Indian extractive and mining industry. The seminar will also include training on Free, Prior and Informed Consent (FPIC) and the possibilities to use the IFC Performance Standards’ complaint mechanism. This two-day capacity building session will be an opportunity for Indian civil society organizations working on Human and Environmental Rights in the extractive sector to enhance their knowledge, to integrate the OECD Guidelines in their advocacy work and ultimately to promote more responsible corporate behavior and accountability.

For more information or to register for this seminar please contact: laura@cividep.org