Law Council submission to the OECD’s Review of the AusNCP
30 September 2021
In June 2021, the Law Council, in consultation with its Constituent Bodies and specialist Business and Human Rights Committee, provided a submission to the OECD’s Review of the AusNCP. While the submission welcomed recent efforts by the AusNCP to undertake outreach activities, it identified further opportunities to promote the Guidelines and the role of the AusNCP amongst key stakeholders.
As part of the peer review process, on 7 September 2021, the Law Council, represented by the Chair of its Business and Human Rights Committee Mr Greg Vickery AO, participated in a virtual consultation session. The consultation was led by the OECD’s Centre for Responsible Business Conduct, and input was sought on how the AusNCP operates with respect to the following ‘core criteria’ set out in the Guidelines: visibility, accessibility, transparency and accountability.
More broadly, the Law Council has also recently responded to an international review of the Guidelines, relating to challenges of implementation, and opportunities to strengthen the standards so that they remain fit for purpose.
Recognising a shift towards greater national regulation of responsible business conduct, the Law Council’s submission recommended that Part II on the implementation of the Guidelines be updated to encourage adhering countries to move towards greater national regulation on responsible business conduct.