'COVID-19 and Responsible Business Conduct', 16 April 2020

...Taking an “RBC [responsible business conduct] approach”, based on the OECD Guidelines for Multinational Enterprises, and using risk-based due diligence... as described in the OECD Due Diligence Guidance for Responsible Business Conduct, would bring short and long-term benefits. In particular, it would enhance companies’ capacity to build and increase resilience to better deal with current and future supply chain disruptions, and enhance their ability to access private and public finance. An RBC approach in the design and implementation of government measures to support the global economic recovery would also help ensure a fairer and more inclusive distribution of benefits...

Company RBC approaches could include the following measures:

- Social dialogue and stakeholder engagement...

- Environmental, health and safety management...

- Supply chain management that addresses vulnerabilities in the supply chain...

Government RBC approaches could entail the following strategies:

- Conditioning emergency or relief funds to compliance with RBC standards...;

- Using emergency and relief programmes to support companies in creating long-term economic, social and environmental value;

- Using RBC standards as a framework for identifying the environmental, social and governance risks and vulnerabilities in the supply chains...;

- Leveraging public procurement...;

- Enabling dispute resolution and access to remedy in the event that companies or government responses fail to meet RBC standards linked to recovery measures.

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