Italy’s National Contact Point for Responsible Business Conduct (NCP), hosted within the Ministry of Enterprises and Made in Italy, benefits from a well-established institutional framework. The NCP, which is supported by a multi-stakeholder advisory committee and functions autonomously within the ministry, is recognised for its expertise in addressing issues related to business sustainability. A new peer review by the OECD makes recommendations around strengthening the perception of the NCP’s impartiality, its access to human and financial resources, and its stakeholder engagement.
The review finds that the Italian NCP performs its core functions of promoting the OECD Guidelines for Multinational Enterprises on Responsible Business Conduct (the Guidelines) and handling specific instances well, building on a solid procedural basis and enjoying generally positive stakeholder perceptions. The NCP’s location within the Ministry provides strong visibility, access to business stakeholders, and links to policy making processes. At the same time, the review notes that the NCP’s location in a ministry responsible for providing enterprise support may give rise to a potential perception among some stakeholders that the NCP is institutionally closer to business interests, and recommends to put in place visible institutional impartiality safeguards, such as clarifying the autonomous functioning of the NCP.
Italy’s NCP’s advisory committee, which includes representatives from government, business, trade unions and civil society, contributes to expertise and stakeholder confidence. However, some stakeholders have signalled the opportunity to widen the participation within the Committee’s activities to better represent civil society actors. Stakeholders highlight the need to clarify the role of Committee members, particularly on case handling. While navigating significant turnover that affected capacity in recent years, the NCP has maintained a stable budget and consistent staffing levels. Stakeholders emphasise the need for increased full-time staff resources to support the NCP’s expanding responsibilities.
The NCP is generally well known among established stakeholders, maintains a website highly praised by stakeholders, and participates actively in external events. However, the review identifies an opportunity to move from an ad-hoc approach to promotion and dissemination towards better strategic planning, including evaluating the effectiveness of the NCP’s promotion. The review highlights the need to expand outreach to underrepresented groups, particularly small and medium-sized enterprises (SMEs) and civil society organisations, and to consider diversifying communication tools and channels.
The NCP has handled a moderate caseload since its establishment, with stakeholders generally recognising the staff as impartial, fair and transparent in case handling. The review nevertheless identifies opportunities for improvement, such as strengthening the role of the NCP in the mediation process. The current reliance on external pro bono mediators has provided a strong network of qualified professionals to date, but has raised questions about sustainability and access to subject-matter expertise for increasingly complex cases. The review emphasises the opportunity to strengthen the NCP’s internal mediation capacity through training, certification, and the consolidation of technical expertise.
The review highlights the NCP’s role in supporting government efforts to promote responsible business conduct, including its involvement in the National Action Plan on Business and Human Rights (2021–2026) and participation in interministerial bodies. However, this policy role is not yet fully reflected in the NCP’s founding framework, and the review notes that opportunities exist to further enhance policy coherence through more systematic use of the NCP’s institutional links and Committee structure.
The peer review recommends that the Italian NCP:
- Put visible institutional impartiality safeguards in place, such as clarifying the NCP’s autonomous functioning.
- Improve balance and participation in the NCP Committee, particularly strengthening civil society representation;
- Develop and implement a more strategic approach to promotion, including targeted outreach, pursuing additional communication tools and channels, and evaluating impact;
- Strengthen the NCP’s role in mediation and build internal capacity to mediate, including through training and certification;
- Update case-handling procedures to align with the 2023 Guidelines, and clarify roles and strengthen provisions around conflicts of interest;
- Formalise the NCP’s role in supporting government policy on responsible business conduct and further enhance policy coherence across government.
The NCPs of Canada and Croatia led this peer review. Italy is invited to report on follow-up actions to the OECD one year following approval of the report.
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
