Leading from the front

MNE Guidelines forum

Since their creation in 1976, the OECD Declaration on International Investment and Guidelines for Multinational Enterprises have reflected the expectations of signatory countries and their citizens as to how international companies should operate and relate to governments.

The OECD Declaration, of which the Guidelines are an integral part, aims to improve the climate for foreign direct investment. At the same time it seeks to encourage good conduct and the positive contribution that multinational enterprises can make to economic, social and environmental areas in the countries where they operate.

From the beginning, global companies have seen the Guidelines as a way of reflecting the robust management systems they have put in place over the years. It is the quality of these systems that gives legitimacy to companies' operations worldwide, and the Guidelines provide businesses with an opportunity to communicate those standards globally. That is no less true today.