About the National Contact Point for Responsible Business Conduct
What we do
Maintaining a National Contact Point is part of Canada’s commitment to further the effectiveness of the OECD Guidelines for Multinational Enterprises.
Canada’s National Contact Point:
- promotes awareness and adoption by Canadian companies of the OECD Guidelines on Multinational Enterprises, which are the most complete and authoritative set of global standards on how to run a business responsibly
- contributes to the resolution of disputes concerning alleged non-observance of the OECD Guidelines by multinational enterprises, namely by implementing the specific instance process described in the Implementation Procedures of the OECD Guidelines
Canada’s National Contact Point is one of Canada’s two dispute resolution mechanisms, as described in Responsible Business Conduct Abroad: Canada's Strategy for the Future.
Responsible business conduct abroad is a priority for Canada, including the promotion of guidelines and standards, anti-corruption, due diligence and dispute-resolution mechanisms.
The Government of Canada expects Canadian companies operating abroad to adopt best practices and internationally respected guidelines on responsible business conduct. These include the United Nations Guiding Principles on Business and Human Rights (PDF) and the OECD Guidelines for Multinational Enterprises.
Promotion
Canada’s NCP promotes awareness of the OECD Guidelines through:
- outreach to representatives of industry, industry associations and civil society
- training for Canada’s Trade Commissioner Service
- promotional activities (website, webinars, speeches)
- publications (case information, final statements and annual reporting)
Dispute resolution
The NCP can review and help contribute to the resolution of complaints made against multinational enterprises operating in or from Canada, in any economic sector.
Complaints can be related to observance of any of the guidance outlined in the 11 chapters of the OECD Guidelines, including chapters dealing with:
- disclosure
- human rights
- employment and industrial relations
- environment
- bribery
- consumer interests
- science and technology
- competition
- taxation
Canada’s other dispute resolution mechanism, the Canadian Ombudsperson for Responsible Enterprise (CORE), is mandated to review complaints and offer informal mediation related to alleged human rights abuses arising from a Canadian company’s operations outside of Canada in the garment, mining, and oil and gas sectors.
If your complaint is relevant to mandates of both the NCP and CORE, you may submit it to either one of the organizations. The choice is yours. If you have questions about the respective mandates and procedures of the NCP and CORE, you can contact both organizations for additional information.
Spotlight on Canada’s NCP (2000-2024)
Scope: Since 2000, Canada’s NCP has concluded 29 cases relating to enterprise activities in various regions of the world, including Africa (38%), Indo-Pacific (24%), South and Central America (21%), domestic (14%) and multiple locations (3.4%).
Case outcomes: Over half of all cases in which issues raised were accepted for further examination by Canada’s NCP resulted in constructive engagement or some form of agreement between the parties.
Sectors: Canada’s NCP has handled issues in a variety of sectors. Mining has been the most cited sector in specific instances, followed by manufacturing, and professional services activities.
Submitters: Non-governmental organisations (NGOs), individuals, and trade unions have accounted for the majority of cases submitted since 2000.
Themes: Most cases dealt with general policies, which include expectations related to due diligence. Environment, human rights, disclosure, employment and worker issues were cited frequently. See figure below.
Figure 1: OECD Guidelines for Multinational Enterprises on RBC Chapter Cited, 2000 - 2024
Text version - Figure 1
| Chapter Cited | Number of times |
|---|---|
| General Policies | 17 |
| Environment | 12 |
| Human Rights | 12 |
| Disclosure | 9 |
| Concepts and Principles | 7 |
| Employment and Industrial Relations | 7 |
| Competition | 2 |
| Bribery | 1 |
| Consumer Interests | 1 |
| Taxation | 1 |
Source: Canada’s NCP, August 2024
Governance
Canada’s National Contact Point is a committee comprising of 8 federal departments. Global Affairs Canada chairs the NCP, with Natural Resources Canada (NRCAN) as vice-chair. The six other member departments are:
- Crown-Indigenous Relations and Northern Affairs Canada (CIRNAC)
- Environment and Climate Change Canada (ECCC)
- Employment and Social Development Canada (ESDC)
- Department of Finance Canada
- Innovation Science and Economic Development Canada (ISED)
- Public Service and Procurement Canada (PSPC)
The NCP Secretariat (housed in Global Affairs Canada) provides administrative support for the NCP. When reviewing complaints and developing recommendations for the NCP, the NCP Secretariat works with a working group of the NCP member departments. The composition of a working group can vary from case to case, including other federal departments depending on the nature of the issue.
For more information on the role and structure of Canada’s NCP, see our terms of reference.
Additional information on National Contact Points from the OECD can be found here: National Contact Points for Responsible Business Conduct.
Social partners
The National Contact Point regularly consults with its 3 Canadian social partners to inform its work:
- Canadian Labour Congress
- Confédération des syndicats nationaux
- Canadian Chamber of Commerce
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