The Dutch National Contact Point for Responsible Business Conduct (NCP) is a trusted and sought out agency, according to an OECD peer review. The NCP is carrying out well its principal missions: promoting the OECD Guidelines for Multinational Enterprises on Responsible Business Conduct (the Guidelines) and resolving complex sustainability complaints brought against companies. Additionally, the independent Dutch NCP is a useful resource to assist the government in its policy efforts towards business sustainability.
Yet high caseloads and increasingly complex, international cases have contributed to frequent delays. As the Netherlands roll out major reforms on sustainable supply chains, the review identified the NCP as a key asset in supporting coherent and consistent policymaking, but under growing pressure.
Stakeholders praised that the NCP’s institutional set up, combining independent experts and a secretariat in the Ministry of Foreign Affairs, provides the NCP with impartiality and independence. The NCP works with an advisory body and a stakeholder board to connect with ministries and stakeholders. The review however noted that responsibilities within the advisory body should be more transparent and highlighted that the stakeholder board’s contribution to the NCP’s work could be stronger. The chair of the NCP, Rutger Goethart, commented that the review process offered new insights on the advisory body’s functioning and that the NCP “[…] welcomes the recommendation on strengthening the role of stakeholders and their constituents to promote the NCP mechanism”.
The Dutch NCP supports companies and stakeholders in resolving concrete sustainability issues by facilitating mediation to resolve grievances against companies or providing clear guidance on how to improve responsible business practices. Stakeholders praised the NCP’s professional and thorough handling of complaints, yet the increasing complexity and high number of cases create delays. “A key challenge remains to improve the effectiveness and timeliness of the handling of our cases. We welcome the recommendations to keep control of timing, also by better managing expectations,” noted Rutger Goethart.
The NCP’s expertise has informed national and EU‑level initiatives, and the NCP coordinates with relevant entities such as the export credit agency to create incentives for companies to become more responsible.
The NCP’s communication tools are effective in maintaining visibility across stakeholder groups, according to the review. However, outreach often reaches the same networks.
Key recommendations include:
- clarifying the responsibilities and confidentiality arrangements of the NCP’s advisory body
- strengthening the contribution of the NCP’s stakeholder board in promoting the NCP and disseminating its outputs.
- improving the timeliness of case-handling through clearer expectations, document‑management practices and defined mediation timelines.
- enhancing co-ordination with other agencies promoting sustainability to avoid fragmentation and broaden outreach, especially to large companies.
- continuing the NCP support to government policy.
The NCPs of Denmark and Lithuania led this peer review. The Netherlands is invited to report on follow up on these recommendations to the OECD by December 2026.
The OECD Guidelines for Multinational Enterprises on Responsible Business Conduct (the Guidelines) are the most comprehensive international standard to align activities of business with the needs of society. The Guidelines are backed by 52 governments in the OECD and beyond, which are required to establish a National Contact Point for Responsible Business Conduct, a unique domestic body to promote the Guidelines and resolve cases brought against companies as a non-judicial grievance mechanism. To ensure continued effectiveness, all NCPs must undertake periodic peer reviews.
For further information, please contact: RBC@oecd.org
