Corporate social responsibility abroad

Today the Government launched its first white paper on corporate social responsibility in a globalised economy. “The responsibility of policy makers and the business sector to ensure decent working conditions does not stop at the Norwegian border,” said Foreign Minister Jonas Gahr Støre.

The white paper clarifies the responsibility companies have as regards human rights, decent working conditions, the environment and anti-corruption. The Government and the Foreign Service will intensify their efforts by enhancing advisory services, cooperation and dialogue with the business sector.

“The Government will propose amendments to the Accounting Act that extend the duty of Norwegian companies to provide information on what they are doing to implement ethical guidelines. It also intends to strengthen the Norwegian national contact point for the OECD’s guidelines for multinational companies, which is tasked with promoting the guidelines and dealing with cases of alleged breaches. A number of other measures will also be continued and strengthened,” said Minister of Trade and Industry Sylvia Brustad.

The Government underlines that the Norwegian authorities are themselves responsible for taking ethical concerns into account and behaving responsibly, and that the State must show social responsibility owner, investor, purchaser and administrator of development assistance funds.

“This white paper reflects the active efforts being made by the Government to promote a more binding international framework for corporate social responsibility abroad, human rights, and labour and environmental standards,” Minister of the Environment and International Development Erik Solheim pointed out.

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An English version of the white paper will be available in mid-March 2009.