NEWS RELEASES

June 27, 2000 (11:35 a.m. EDT) No. 164

CANADA ENDORSES IMPROVED OECD GUIDELINES

FOR MULTINATIONAL ENTERPRISES

International Trade Minister Pierre Pettigrew, Industry Minister John Manley and Labour Minister Claudette Bradshaw today welcomed the Organization for Economic Co-operation and Development's (OECD) adoption of improved guidelines for the conduct for multinational enterprises.

The revised OECD Guidelines for Multinational Enterprises set out voluntary principles and standards of responsible conduct which will help to promote and protect the environment and human rights, and uphold labour standards.

"Canada has long encouraged our corporations to act responsibly throughout the world," Minister Pettigrew said from Paris, where he is attending the OECD Ministerial meeting. "The new guidelines are an important package of multilaterally agreed-to norms and principles for corporate social responsibility. They will complement the best practices of Canadian companies and play an increasingly significant role in fostering good corporate citizenship around the globe."

The new guidelines cover the activities of multinational enterprises operating in or from the OECD's 29 member countries, who account for about 90 percent of multinational enterprises' foreign direct investment.

"We will vigorously promote the adoption of these guidelines by Canadian multinational businesses," said Minister Manley. "We believe that these guidelines are an important step toward ensuring sustainable growth of the global economy to benefit all countries."

The review has updated the guidelines to address important areas such as human rights and consumer protection, and it has improved upon existing areas of coverage, such as core labour standards and environmental protection.

"The revision of the guidelines furthers efforts to promote global respect for the International Labour Organisation's core labour standards," said Minister Bradshaw. "We are particularly pleased with the reference to the effective abolition of child labour."

Federal government departments will co-operate in the implementation of the guidelines under the direction of a body called the National Contact Point, which has been strengthened as a result of the review. It will work closely with businesses, labour groups and non-governmental organizations (NGOs) to assist in the resolution of issues in a fair and effective manner.

The OECD consulted business, labour and NGOs on a regular basis during the review. The Government of Canada sought the views of many of these same Canadian organizations and kept them informed as the review proceeded.

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For further information, media representatives may contact:

Sylvie Bussières

Office of the Minister for International Trade

(613) 992-7332

Media Relations Office

Department of Foreign Affairs and International Trade

(613) 995-1874

Rob Ready

Industry Canada

(613) 954-2354

David Klug

Office of the Minister of Labour

(819) 953-5646

This document is also available on the Department of Foreign Affairs and

International Trade's Internet site at http://www.dfait-maeci.gc.ca