The COVID-19 pandemic is a global crisis deeply impacting men and women’s rights to health, livelihood and dignity, particularly for vulnerable workers in supply chains and communities impacted by major development projects. While the virus has underscored the duty of states to raise public awareness and protect public health, it has also underscored the key responsibility of corporations to respect human rights in how they address both the public health and economic impacts of the crisis.
In this statement, OECD Watch calls on OECD member and adherent states to:
-Ensure all of the OECD’s internal discussions and public guidance on COVID-19 comprehensively address the importance of responsible business conduct in the global community’s crisis response;
-Ensure multinational enterprises address risks and impacts to workers, their families, and affected communities across their supply chains and through their business relationships; and
-Use the opportunity provided by the crisis to transform existing harmful business practices towards more sustainable business models in future.
