Finland

4 Access of victims of human rights violations to legal remedies

4.1 Development of the OECD National Contact Point [page 31]

“The OECD Guidelines include a monitoring mechanism referred to as the National Contact Points (NCPs), which are established by governments adhering to the Guidelines. NCPs promote the Guidelines and implement them.

The primary objective of the OECD procedure is to promote the resolution of conflicts between the parties. The NCP´s task is to act as a mediator in this process. Where necessary, in addition to the mediation duty, the NCP will make a statement on whether the company in question followed the OECD Guidelines. The statement of the NCP is not a legal remedy in the sense of obliging a company to change its operations or in the sense of resulting in potential compensation or other types of reimbursement for activities in violation of the guidelines.

The NCP in Finland is the Ministry of Employment and the Economy together with the Committee on Corporate Social Responsibility. The Committee states, by request of the Ministry, whether it sees that a company has followed the Guidelines. Finnish NCP’s procedures are described in more detail in the background memo and online15.

As a follow-up measure, the working group proposes that

  • alternatives for the development of the NCP be mapped out. In the meantime, the procedures of the NCP shall be clarified and communications shall be made on them.
    Principal responsible party: Ministry of Employment and the Economy, schedule before the end of 2015.”