Norway

Norway’s OECD National Contact Point [page 20]

As a member of the OECD, Norway is committed to promoting the OECD Guidelines for Multinational Enterprises. The Guidelines were updated and adopted at the OECD Ministerial Council Meeting in May 2011. All OECD countries must appoint a National Contact Point that in addition to promoting the Guidelines provides on request assistance in specific instances of alleged non-observance of the Guidelines. The Contact Point is not a supervisory or control body, but provides advice and facilitates access to conciliation and mediation procedures. National Contact Points are also mandated to cooperate with each other on promoting the Guidelines. Norway’s Contact Point is appointed by the Ministry of Foreign Affairs in consultation with the Ministry of Trade, Industry and Fisheries and the Ministry of Finance, from candidates proposed by the social partners (the Confederation of Norwegian Enterprise (NHO) and the Norwegian Confederation of Trade Unions (LO) and civil society (the Norwegian Forum for Environment and Development).

4.1 State-based grievance mechanisms [page 40]

State-based non-judicial grievance mechanisms 

The 27th principle concerns public non-judicial grievance mechanisms.

Norway has a number of well-functioning institutions such as the Labour Inspection Authority, the Ombudsman for Children, the Consumer Ombudsman, the Equality and Anti-discrimination Ombudsman, the Norwegian Environment Agency and the Parliamentary Ombudsman for the Public Administration. There are also complaints mechanisms in connection with the rights of employees, children, women and men. For example, on the basis of the Environmental Information Act, the Appeals Board for Environmental Information handles appeals concerning rejected requests from private and public agencies for access to environmental information. The National Contact Point provides information on the OECD Guidelines for Multinational Enterprises and the UN Guiding Principles. The Contact Point also deals with individual cases independently of the government. In line with the Guidelines, the parties to cases that come before the Contact Point are expected to participate in good faith during the procedure.