Fifty Years of Responsible Business Conduct: Ten Lessons Learned

On 30 June, Business at OECD co-organised a session during the OECD Global Forum on Responsible Business Conduct, alongside TUAC and OECD Watch. Held as part of the OECD's 50^th Anniversary Week on Responsible Business Conduct, the discussion explored how the OECD Guidelines for Multinational Enterprises on Responsible Business Conduct can remain fit for purpose in an increasingly complex global economy. During the session, we launched our new paper, "Ten Lessons Learned from 50 Years of Responsible Business Conduct: A Business Perspective". First, we recommend that responsible business conduct policies must remain risk-based, proportionate, and practical. Second, increasing fragmentation of due diligence and sustainability regulations risks diverting resources away from meaningful action. Third, the OECD should continue developing practical, business-oriented guidance that helps companies implement the Guidelines. Throughout the discussion, Business at OECD reaffirmed its commitment to working with the OECD and fellow stakeholders to ensure that the OECD Guidelines remain implementable, effective, and grounded in business realities for the next fifty years, and beyond.