OECD Watch is exposing harm to human rights defenders and fighting for businesses to respect their rights.
We provide guidance to civil society and recommendations to NCPs and governments on how to prevent and respond to reprisals, including in NCP complaints. We have tracked the incidence of harms to defenders associated with NCP complaints to raise awareness of the risks. When harms occur in individual cases, we take action in consultation with the people affected - sometimes speaking privately to an NCP, making formal statements to the OECD, or recommending NGO partners that can help.
We fought hard to strengthen expectations in the OECD Guidelines for both companies and NCPs on preventing reprisals and we’re using these new standards to help protect defenders in individual cases. We successfully called for the OECD's corporate guidance on the just transition to explicitly recognise and protect the role of human rights and environmental defenders. We’re also urging the OECD to clarify guidance for companies on stakeholder engagement, with special focus on human rights defenders and other marginalised groups.
We worked with advocates to ensure alignment between the OECD Guidelines and other dialogues on safe space for defenders. Together, we’re now pushing for other standards and laws to ensure companies protect and remedy reprisals.
The OECD Guidelines expect companies to respect the rights of human rights and environmental defenders and to avoid causing or contributing to reprisals against people who speak out about business activities.
The OECD Guidelines also expect governments to ensure that National Contact Points take appropriate steps to address the risk of reprisals against parties involved in NCP complaints.
Companies should:
Want to learn more about OECD Watch’s work on this issue? Get in touch with us to find out more about our advocacy and resources, or to discuss how the OECD Guidelines can support your work. Reach out directly.
Our factsheet explains what the OECD Guidelines say about reprisals and provides recommendations for companies, governments and NCPs on preventing and responding to reprisals.
Explore complaints involving retaliation against human rights defenders.
The OECD Guidelines provide civil society with a framework for engaging companies, governments and other decision-makers on responsible business conduct. You can use the Guidelines to:
Help communities and other affected people understand the standards companies are expected to meet and the rights and protections they can demand.
Use the Guidelines to talk to companies about their impacts and demand that they prevent, address and remedy harm.
Use the Guidelines to advocate for strong laws, policies and corporate practices that protect people and the planet and hold companies accountable.
When a company falls below the standards in the Guidelines, you can bring a complaint to an NCP and seek accountability and remedy.
How companies should use a gender lens to identify and address the distinct impacts of their activities on women and LGBTQI+ people.
How companies can respect human rights, prevent harm and provide or contribute to remedy when harms occur.
How companies should respect Indigenous Peoples’ rights, including collective rights to culture, self-determination, and free, prior and informed consent.
How companies should prevent harm to people’s land, housing and tenure rights and respect legitimate land rights.
How meaningful engagement can ensure affected people have a voice in decisions that impact them.
How companies should respect workers’ rights across their operations and value chains, including freedom of association and collective bargaining.
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