The OECD Guidelines are recommendations by governments to multinational enterprises (MNEs) operating in or from the 33 countries that adhere to the Guidelines. The Guidelines help ensure that MNEs act in harmony with the policies of countries in which they operate and with societal expectations. They are the only comprehensive, multilaterally endorsed code of conduct for MNEs. They establish non-binding principles and standards covering a broad range of issues in business ethics. The basic premise of the Guidelines is that internationally agreed principles can help to prevent misunderstandings and build an atmosphere of confidence and predictability among business, labour, governments and society as a whole.

The recent review of the Guidelines, concluded in June 2000, brought significant change to the contents of the Guidelines’ recommendations and sought to enhance their distinctive implementation procedures. At the time of the review, many participants noted the intense ...