Concepts & Principles

• Voluntary Compliance: Compliance with the guidelines is voluntary and not legally
enforceable by governments. Enterprises are encouraged to follow these principles and
standards.
• Respect for Domestic Laws: Enterprises must first obey domestic laws, and the
guidelines should not override these laws. Enterprises should strive to honor the
guidelines without violating domestic law, even if there is a conflict.
• International Cooperation: International cooperation should extend to all countries
where multinational enterprises operate. Adherents to the guidelines encourage
enterprises operating in their territories to observe the guidelines in all host countries.
• Definition of Multinational Enterprises: A precise definition of multinational
enterprises is not required. Factors such as the international nature of an enterprise's
structure and activities matter. All entities within a multinational enterprise are expected
to cooperate to facilitate guideline observance.
• Equal Treatment: Multinational and domestic enterprises are subject to the same
expectations of conduct wherever the guidelines are relevant to both.
• Support for Small- and Medium-sized Enterprises: Small- and medium-sized
enterprises are encouraged to follow the guidelines to the fullest extent possible, despite
differences in capacity compared to larger enterprises.
• Non-Protectionist Use: Adherents should not use the guidelines for protectionist
purposes or to undermine the comparative advantage of any country where
multinational enterprises invest.
• Prescribing Conditions: Governments have the right to prescribe the conditions under
which multinational enterprises operate within their jurisdictions, subject to
international law. When conflicts arise, cooperation among governments is encouraged
to resolve problems.
• Responsibilities of Adherents: Adherents to the guidelines should fulfill their
responsibilities to treat enterprises equitably and in accordance with international law
and contractual obligations.
• Dispute Resolution: The use of appropriate international dispute settlement
mechanisms, including arbitration, is encouraged to facilitate the resolution of legal
problems arising between enterprises and host country governments.
• National Contact Points: Adherents will establish National Contact Points for
Responsible Business Conduct to promote the guidelines and serve as a forum for
discussions related to them. They will also participate in review and consultation
procedures to address concerns regarding interpretation and implementation of the
guidelines

General Policies
• Contribute to Sustainable Development: Multinational enterprises should contribute
to economic, environmental, and social progress with the aim of achieving sustainable
development.
• Respect Human Rights: Enterprises must respect the internationally recognized
human rights of those affected by their activities.
• Local Capacity Building: Encourage local capacity building through close
cooperation with the local community, including business interests, and expand
business activities in domestic and foreign markets while adhering to sound commercial
practices.
• Human Capital Formation: Promote human capital formation by creating
employment opportunities and facilitating training for employees.
• Transparency and Integrity: Ensure transparency and integrity in lobbying activities and
avoid seeking or accepting exemptions that are not contemplated in the statutory or
regulatory framework, especially related to human rights, environmental, health, safety,
labor, taxation, financial incentives, or other issues.
• Corporate Governance: Support and uphold good corporate governance principles and
practices throughout enterprise groups.
• Self-Regulatory Practices: Develop and apply effective self-regulatory practices and
management systems that foster a relationship of confidence and mutual trust between
enterprises and the societies in which they operate.
• Awareness and Compliance: Promote awareness and compliance among workers with
respect to company policies, including through training programs.
• Protection from Reprisals: Refrain from discriminatory or disciplinary actions against
workers, trade union representatives, or other worker representatives who make bona
fide reports on practices that violate the law, guidelines, or company policies.
• Preventing Reprisals: Take steps to prevent the use of reprisals, even by entities in a
business relationship with the enterprise, against individuals or groups raising concerns
about adverse impacts associated with the enterprise's operations, products, or services.
• Risk-Based Due Diligence: Conduct risk-based due diligence, such as incorporating it
into enterprise risk management systems, to identify, prevent, and mitigate actual or
potential adverse impacts. The extent of due diligence depends on the specific
circumstances.
• Avoid Adverse Impacts: Avoid causing or contributing to adverse impacts covered by
the Guidelines through their activities and address such impacts when they occur,
including participating in remediation efforts.
• Addressing Indirect Impacts: Seek to prevent or mitigate adverse impacts directly
linked to their operations, products, or services by a business relationship, even when
they have not directly contributed to that impact.
• Encourage Responsible Business Conduct: Encourage entities with which an enterprise
has a business relationship to apply principles of responsible business conduct
compatible with the Guidelines.
• Engage with Stakeholders: Engage meaningfully with relevant stakeholders or their
legitimate representatives as part of due diligence and provide opportunities for their
views to be considered regarding activities that significantly impact them related to
matters covered by the Guidelines.
• Avoid Improper Political Involvement: Abstain from improper involvement in political
activities..
 Disclosures
• Financial and Operating Results: Disclosure policies of enterprises should include
material information on financial and operating results.
• Objectives and Sustainability Information: This should encompass enterprise objectives
and sustainability-related information.
• Capital Structures: Disclosure should cover capital structures, group structures, and
their control arrangements.
• Major Share Ownership: Major share ownership, including beneficial owners and
voting rights, should be disclosed.
• Board Composition: Information about the composition of the board and its members,
including qualifications, selection process, other directorships, and independence
status, should be included.
• Remuneration: Disclosure should extend to remuneration of board members and key
executives.
• Related Party Transactions: Information about related party transactions is important.
• Risk Factors: Foreseeable risk factors should be disclosed.
• Governance Structures: Disclosure should encompass governance structures and
policies, including compliance with national corporate governance codes or policies
and their implementation processes.
• Debt Contracts: Debt contracts, along with the risk of non-compliance with covenants,
should be disclosed.
• Responsible Business Conduct Information: Enterprises should communicate
responsible business conduct information as part of their due diligence responsibilities.
This information may include value statements, policies on responsible business
conduct, commitments to guidelines, and plans for due diligence implementation.
• Codes of Conduct: Disclosure should cover policies, codes of conduct to which the
enterprise subscribes, their adoption dates, and their applicability.
• Management Measures: Information should be provided on measures taken to integrate
responsible business conduct policies into management and oversight bodies.
 • Areas of Impact and Risks: Disclose identified areas of significant impacts or risks,
adverse impacts or risks identified and assessed, and prioritization criteria.
• Performance and Actions: Share performance in relation to commitments and codes,
actions to prevent or mitigate risks or impacts, estimated timelines, benchmarks for
improvement, and outcomes.
• Audit and Compliance: Information on internal audit, risk management, and legal
compliance systems should be included.
• Stakeholder Relationships: Disclose information on relationships with workers and
other stakeholders.
• Compliance with Standards: Enterprises should prepare and disclose information in
accordance with internationally recognized accounting and disclosure standards. Avoid
publication of insufficient or unclear information.
• External Audit: Conduct an annual external audit by an independent, competent, and
qualified auditor following internationally recognized auditing, ethical, and
independence standards to enhance the credibility of responsible business conduct
information

Respect Workers' Rights:

• Respect workers' rights to establish or join trade unions and representative

organizations of their choosing without interference.
• Recognize workers' chosen unions for collective bargaining and engage in constructive
negotiations on employment terms.
• Contribute to the elimination of child labor and take urgent measures to eliminate the
worst forms of child labor.
• Work towards the elimination of all forms of forced or compulsory labor urgently.
• Operate with the principle of equal opportunity and treatment in employment, avoiding
discrimination based on various factors.
• Provide a safe and healthy working environment.
Support Workers' Representatives:

• Provide necessary facilities to workers' representatives for effective collective

agreement development.
• Furnish timely information to workers' representatives for meaningful employment
condition negotiations.
• Provide accurate information to workers and their representatives regarding
performance and other relevant aspects.

Promote Consultation and Cooperation:

Promote consultation and cooperation between employers, workers, and their representatives
on mutual concerns.

Employment and Industrial Relations:

• Adhere to employment standards, contractual arrangements, and industrial relations

across their operations.
• Ensure wages, benefits, and working conditions in other countries are at least as
favorable as those of comparable employers in the host country, or better if comparable
employers don't exist.
• Maintain high safety and health standards at work.

Local Employment and Training:

Employ local workers whenever practicable and provide training to improve their skills in
cooperation with worker representatives and relevant governmental authorities.

Managing Employment Changes:

• Provide reasonable notice of major employment-affecting changes to worker

representatives and relevant authorities.
• Cooperate with worker representatives and authorities to mitigate adverse effects of
such changes.

Fair Negotiations and Transfers:

• In negotiations on employment conditions or during worker organizing, refrain from

threatening to transfer operations or workers unfairly.
 • Allow authorized worker representatives to negotiate on labor-management issues and
consult with management representatives authorized to make decisions on these
matters.

Climate change

• climate change;
• biodiversity loss;
• degradation of land, marine and freshwater ecosystems;
• deforestation;
• air, water and soil pollution;
• mismanagement of waste, including hazardous substances

Anti-corruption

Anti-Corruption Measures:

• Avoid acts of corruption, including offering, promising, or giving undue advantages to

public officials, employees of entities with business relationships, or their associates.
• Do not request, agree to, or accept undue advantages from public officials or employees
of entities with business relationships.
• Avoid using third parties or intermediaries for channeling undue advantages to public
officials, employees, or their associates.

Internal Controls and Compliance Programs:

• Develop and adopt internal controls, ethics, and compliance programs based on risk
assessments.
• Ensure financial and accounting procedures, including conflict of interest registers.
• Regularly monitor and reassess individual circumstances and risks.

Facilitation Payments:

• Prohibit or discourage the use of small facilitation payments in internal company

controls and compliance programs.
• Accurately record such payments in books and financial records.
Agent Oversight:

• Ensure properly documented due diligence for agent hiring and ongoing oversight.
• Ensure remuneration of agents is appropriate and for legitimate services.
• Maintain an updated list of agents and make it available to competent authorities as
required.

Transparency and Culture of Integrity:

• Foster transparency and a culture of integrity.

• Show visible support and commitment from the board of directors and senior
management.
• Establish a corporate policy prohibiting bribery and corruption, easily accessible to all
stakeholders.
• Disclose management systems and compliance programs..

Awareness and Compliance:

Promote awareness and compliance with anti-corruption policies and programs among
employees and business associates.

Political Contributions:

• Do not make illegal contributions to candidates for public office, political parties, or
related organizations.
• Ensure political contributions comply with national laws, including public disclosure
requirements, and require senior management approval
Technology & Science

Risk-Based Due Diligence:

Perform risk-based due diligence regarding actual and potential adverse impacts related to
science, technology, and innovation.

Technology Transfer and Data Sharing:

• Adopt practices that facilitate voluntary, safe, secure, and efficient technology and
know-how transfer on mutually agreed terms.
• Enhance access to and sharing of data to foster scientific discovery and innovation,
while considering intellectual property rights, confidentiality, privacy, personal data
protection, export controls, and non-discrimination principles.

Local Science and Technology Development:

• Engage in science and technology development activities in host countries to address

local market needs.
• Employ host country personnel in science and technology development activities and
support their training, considering integrity, security, and commercial requirements.

Intellectual Property Rights and Technology Transfer:

• Grant licenses for the use of intellectual property rights and voluntarily transfer
technology on mutually agreed terms and with safeguards to prevent and mitigate
adverse impacts.
• Ensure that such transfers contribute to the long-term sustainable development of the
host country and comply with export control regulations.

Collaboration with Local Institutions:

• Establish relationships with local higher education institutions, public research

institutions, and participate in cooperative research projects with local industry,
including small- and medium-sized enterprises and civil society organizations.
• Ensure such cooperation aligns with effective risk management, ethical considerations,
national security concerns, applicable laws, and stakeholder considerations.

Responsible Data Governance:

• Enhance transparency in data access and sharing arrangements.

 • Encourage the adoption of responsible data governance practices throughout the data
value cycle.
• Ensure compliance with widely recognized standards, ethical principles, consumer
protection rules, and privacy and data protection norms.

Support for a Free and Open Internet:

• Support cooperative efforts in appropriate forums to promote an open, free, global,

interoperable, reliable, accessible, affordable, secure, and resilient Internet.
• Respect freedoms of expression, peaceful assembly, and association online in
accordance with the matters covered by the Guidelines.

Competition

Compliance with Competition Laws:

• Conduct their activities in a manner consistent with all relevant competition laws and
regulations.
• Consider the competition laws of all jurisdictions where their activities may have anti-
competitive effects.

Preventing Anti-Competitive Agreements:

• Avoid engaging in or executing anti-competitive agreements with competitors.

• This includes agreements to fix prices, engage in rigged bids (collusive tenders),
establish output restrictions or quotas, or share/divide markets by allocating customers,
suppliers, territories, or lines of commerce.

Cooperation with Investigating Authorities:

• Cooperate with competition authorities' investigations.

• Provide prompt and comprehensive responses to requests for information.
• Consider using available instruments, like waivers of confidentiality, to facilitate
effective cooperation among investigating authorities, while adhering to applicable
laws and safeguards.

Promoting Awareness and Training:

• Regularly raise employee awareness about the importance of complying with all
relevant competition laws and regulations.
• Provide training to senior management regarding competition-related issues.