Norway strengthens National Contact Point for CSR

Today, a new, independent National Contact Point was established for following up Norwegian companies’ compliance with the OECD Guidelines for Multinational Enterprises. The Guidelines cover areas such as sustainable development, respect for human rights and employees’ labour rights.

Norwegian Foreign Minister Jonas Gahr Støre commented: “Strengthening the National Contact Point is an important step in the implementation of our policy on corporate social responsibility both in Norway and internationally. My general impression is that Norwegian companies take this responsibility seriously in their operations abroad.”

The National Contact Point (NCP) deals with complaints that Norwegian companies abroad have not complied with the OECD Guidelines for Multinational Enterprises. It is not a legal body, but seeks to resolve issues through dialogue with the parties. Norway is obliged to establish an NCP under the OECD Guidelines.

Professor Hans Petter Graver, Dean of the University of Oslo, has been appointed to head Norway’s new NCP. The new NCP has been made more independent; the authorities are no longer directly represented and it has been moved out of the Ministry of Foreign Affairs and co-located with the Council on Ethics for the Government Pension Fund Global. It also has its own budget and a secretariat made up of two full-time employees.