Italy

I. Statement of Commitment [page 5]

(…) To protect human rights, Italy undertakes to:

– Coordinate the implementation of the present NAP with the 17 Goals of the UN Agenda 2030 for Sustainable Development and engage for a stronger national adherence to human rights and sustainable development in its three dimension – economic, social and environmental – in line with the Sustainable Development Goals (especially SDG number 5,8,10,16,17).”

II. Background and Context

D. Business, Human Rights and Corporate Social Responsibility [page 8]

The Italian Government recognizes the strong interconnection between business and human rights issues and corporate social responsibility, yet clarifies that the two policy areas are object of two different National Action Plans. Corporate social responsibility (CSR) initiatives and practices are indeed developed and elaborated within the competences of the Ministry of Economic Development – which includes also the OECD National Contact Point (NCP) – and the Ministry of Labour and Social Policies, including as well the activity related to responsible business conduct. In this regard, the Italian NCP commissioned to the Scuola Superiore Sant’Anna a research project aimed at examining the adequacy of the Italian regulatory and institutional framework in relation to the UNGPs to provide national enterprises a referral guide for the responsible social management (http://pcnitalia.mise.gov.it/en/news/item/271-business-and-human-rights-the-italian-case).

In 2013, in implementing the Communication of the EU Commission in “A renewed EU strategy 2011-14 for Corporate Social Responsibility” (COM 2011 681), the Ministry of the Economic Development and the Ministry of Labour and Social Policies have developed, in cooperation with national institutions, stakeholders, social partners and business the “2012-2014 Italian Action Plan for the implementation of the EU Communication on CSR”.2

In the awaits of the revised EU Communication, there will be elaborated a new Action Plan which will encompass a series of cross-cutting measures and actions that will contribute to creating a more favourable context for the human rights promotion within business activities.

IV. Government responses

Current Activities and Future Commitments [page 24]

B. Operational Principles

Ensuring policy coherence 

Guiding Principle 8 

Coherence on business and human rights policies and regulations across all competent Government departments and agencies both at national and local level will be ensured through an on-going dialogue, the collaboration amongst all the parties concerned and the activity of coordination among the competent governmental department by CIDU.

Planned Measures

• Development – with the assistance of CIDU – of training activities on business and human rights for competent government and public officials through the predisposition of e-learning scheme and ad hoc seminars which will be tailored on the specific competences of each department/ministry.