The Role of International Standards
Plenary Session 3: The supporting role of the
OECD Guidelines
Christian Thorun, Policy Officer at the Federation of
German Consumer Organizations
Paris, 15 June 2009
Point of departure
Consumers …
want to be treated fairly
are increasingly interested to know how a product was
produced
ask with what kind of products a company earns its
money
However:
There is still a significant gap between consumer
attitudes and consumer behavior – yet it is getting
smaller
2
Major constraint for sustainable/ ethical
consumption
There is a lack of:
Shared understanding what responsible corporate
behaviour means:
donations
philanthropy
selective activities re employees, environment etc.
comprehensive activities re impacts
social business
Credible, comparable and easily accessible
information for consumers
3
The role of international instruments and standards
CSR might be voluntary but it should not be arbitrary
International instruments and standards contribute towards a framework
for responsible behaviour
The value of the OECD Guidelines
The strength of the OECD Guidelines is that it:
is a multilaterally endorsed instrument
takes a comprehensive view covering a wide range of issues
has a mechanism for ‘enforcement’
The weakness of its recommendations are that:
they are quite general
they lack some vital issues that are of importance to consumers
its investment nexus can hardly be explained to consumers
Key question: What can be learned from other standards
such as ISO 26000?
4
What ISO 26000 is
ISO 26000 is a multi-stakeholder standardization process
Objective: To develop an international standard providing guidance
on social responsibility for all kinds of organizations. The standard
is intended to add value to existing agreements, such as the UN
Universal Declaration of Human Rights, agreements adopted by
the International Labour Organization (ILO) or the OECD
Guidelines
Multi-stakeholder process: Representatives from industry,
government, consumer, labour, non-governmental organizations;
academia
Participation: 430 participating experts and 175 observers from 91
countries and 42 Liaison organizations
Target date for publication: 2010
OECD and ISO have signed MoU and OECD documents are
systematically referenced in the standard
5
What can be learned from ISO 26000 for the
consumer chapter (1/2)
Current focus of „VII. Consumer Interests“
health and safety; consumer information about
product qualities and use; dispute resolution;
marketing practices; privacy and product recall
ISO 26000‘s broader approach
is not constrained by legal status quo
broader approach towards information needs
addresses also sustainable consumption, access
to essential services and consumer education
6
What can be learned from ISO 26000 for the
whole standard (2/2)
For consumers it is important that enterprises
do not cherry pick and greenwash
Positive: The comprehensive perspective of the
OECD Guidelines integrating various issues
Negative: Fundamental expectations unclear in
OECD Guidelines:
investment nexus/ responsibility for supply chain
human rights
transparency
7
How the OECD Guidelines should be
refined?
OECD Guidelines should be more specific
improve language on critical issues such as
human rights, supply chain and consumers;
reference other OECD documents
Give OECD Guidelines ‚more teeth‘
NCPs should be independent and accountable
8
How could governments promote consumer
protection and consumer interests?
Revise the OECD Guidelines
Develop instruments to give consumers more
credible, comparable and easy accessible
information
Promote sustainable consumption by means
of public procurement
Make access to export guarantees
dependent on complying with OECD
Guidelines
9