Capacity building on responsible business conduct

OECD research reveals that effective capacity building should be tailored to specific contexts, accounting for sectoral, thematic and geographic considerations. 

While stakeholders agree on the importance of building practical due diligence capacity, current efforts are often fragmented and insufficiently aligned with international standards on responsible business conduct.

To address this gap, the OECD is taking a collaborative approach to developing capacity building solutions.

We help companies and other stakeholders put expectations into practice through accessible, standards-aligned learning opportunities and tools. We also support capacity building practitioners through open-access resources they can use to strengthen, deliver and scale their own capacity building activities.

• OECD Academy on Responsible Business Conduct: We are developing an Academy to provide practical learning opportunities for companies, sustainability initiatives, governments, civil society, and workers' organizations. This includes our free e-learning Academy with self-paced courses, as well as Due Diligence Checkers that enable companies and initiatives to self-assess their alignment with OECD due diligence standards. We are expanding this offering throughout 2026.

• OECD repository for capacity building providers (in development): The repository is being designed to equip trainers and experts with high-quality resources and tools, thereby making capacity building more efficient, effective, scalable and aligned with international standards. 

The OECD develops international standards and practical guidance to advance responsible business conduct worldwide. These resources help companies implement due diligence, governments develop policy and regulation, and investors integrate responsible business conduct into their decision making.