Economic Diplomacy

1. In 1976, the OECD formulated the OECD Guidelines for Multinational Enterprises to set out recommendations and expectations regarding the activities of multinational enterprises from the Guidelines adhering countries. The Guidelines have been revised six times—in 1979, 1984, 1991, 2000, 2011 and 2023—in line with the development of the world economy and changes in corporate behavior. At present, in addition to 38 OECD member countries, 14 non-member countries, Argentina, Brazil, Bulgaria, Croatia, Egypt, Jordan, Kazakhstan, Mauritius, Morocco, Peru, Romania, Tunisia, Ukraine, and Uruguay adhere to the Guidelines.
2. The Guidelines are not legally binding but provide principles and standards for responsible business conduct across a range of fields, including general policies and policies on disclosure, human rights, employment and industrial relations, environment, combating bribery and other forms of corruption, consumer interests, science, technology and innovation, competition, and taxation.
3. The Guidelines’ previous revision was made in 2011 to include a chapter on human rights and provide for enterprises’ responsibility to respect human rights and also to add other provisions including that on the implementation of risk-based due diligence for enterprises to perform as part of their risk management to identify, prevent, and mitigate the actual and potential adverse impacts that they may cause or contribute to causing. (Please refer to the OECD Guidelines for Multinational Enterprises 2011 Edition (PDF).)
4. The most recent update of the Guidelines in 2023, 12 years after the previous revision, includes new provisions clarifying the scope of application of due diligence by enterprises to downstream in their supply chains, expectations for enterprises to align with internationally agreed targets on climate change and biodiversity, and expectations for due diligence on technology, including data collection and use, among others. Also, the title was changed to the “OECD Guidelines for Multinational Enterprises on Responsible Business Conduct”. (Please refer to the OECD Guidelines for Multinational Enterprises on Responsible Business Conduct (2023, PDF).)

1. The 2000 Edition provides for the establishment in each country of national contact points (NCPs), which are intended to promote the widespread use of the Guidelines, respond to inquiries about the Guidelines, and support the resolution of specific instances. The 2011 Edition has enhanced the function of the NCP to assist the resolution of specific instances. The NCPs meet regularly at the OECD and report their activities to the OECD Investment Committee.
2. The Implementation Procedures of the OECD Guidelines for Multinational Enterprises contains the Procedures as an attachment, that details the structure of the NCPs, considerations to be made for its NCP activities, and the workings of the OECD Investment Committee.

1. The Japanese NCP was established in 2000 and is composed of the Ministry of Foreign Affairs, the Ministry of Health, Labour and Welfare, and the Ministry of Economy, Trade and Industry.
2. In July 2008, the NCP Committee of Japan was established by the Japanese NCP, Keidanren (Japanese Business Federation) on behalf of the business industry, and Rengo (Japanese Trade Union Confederation) on behalf of workers. The Committee meets on a regular basis. (For details, please refer to the PDF document (PDF).)

1. Case-handling procedures of the Japanese NCP
   • Procedural Guidance for the Japanese NCP under the OECD Guidelines for MNEs (revised in 2022) (PDF) / Japanese (Original) (PDF)
   • Case-handling procedures of the Japanese NCP (February 2025 edition) (PDF) / Japanese(Original) (PDF)
2. Flow of case-handling procedures
   • a. If you wish to file a specific instance with the Japanese NCP, please fill out this form (Japanese (Word) / English (Word) ) and the inventory of relevant documents (Excel) . Once completed, email them with relevant documents attached to [jpn-ncp@mofa.go.jp].
   • b. Upon receipt of the complaint document, the Japanese NCP will send a letter of receipt to the complainant in accordance with the Case-handling procedures of the Japanese NCP.
   • c. The Japanese NCP will make an initial assessment regarding whether the issue raised “warrants further examination” and subsequently notify the parties involved of the assessment result.
   • d. When the Japanese NCP decides that the issue warrants further examination, the Japanese NCP will assist the parties involved in seeking solution by suggesting mediation. In a case where the Japanese NCP decides that the issue does not warrant further examination, the Japanese NCP will issue such statement.
   • e. The Japanese NCP will issue a statement when the parties involved reach an agreement about the issue, or when no agreement is reached or a party is unwilling to participate in the Japanese NCP procedures.

(1) OECD Guidelines for Multinational Enterprises on Responsible Business Conduct

• OECD Guidelines for Multinational Enterprises (2011 Edition) (PDF)
• OECD Guidelines for Multinational Enterprises on Responsible Business Conduct (2023 Edition) (PDF)

(2) Guidance to conduct due diligence (in order to identify, prevent, and mitigate actual and potential adverse impacts that enterprises could cause or contribute to causing)

• OECD Due Diligence Guidance for Responsible Business Conduct (PDF)

Guidance by sector

• Due Diligence for Responsible Corporate Lending and Securities Underwriting (PDF)
• Responsible Business Conduct for Institutional Investors (PDF)
• OECD Due Diligence Guidance for Responsible Supply Chains in the Garment and Footwear Sector (PDF)
• OECD-FAO Guidance for Responsible Agricultural Supply Chains (PDF)
• OECD Due Diligence Guidance for Meaningful Stakeholder Engagement in the Extractive Sector (PDF)
• OECD Due Diligence Guidance for Responsible Supply Chains of Minerals from Conflict-Affected and High-Risk Areas (The third edition) (PDF)
• Due diligence in electronics and vehicle manufacturing (PDF)
• OECD Due Diligence Guidance for Responsible AI (PDF)
• OECD Website for Due Diligence

• Japanese NCP: Peer learning and review, April 2012 – Tokyo, Japan (PDF)
• Recommendation of the Council on the Role of Government in Promoting Responsible Business Conduct (PDF)
• Organisation for Economic Co-operation and Development (OECD)
• OECD Website for the OECD Guideline for Multinational Enterprises OECD Website: Due Diligence for Responsible Business Conduct
• OECD Website: E-learning academy on Responsible Business Conduct
• NCP short video (YouTube) made by OECD in June 2021.