The OECD Guidelines on Multinational Enterprises are non-binding principles concerning the conduct of multinational enterprises operating in or from the territories of adhering countries. The Guidelines were first adopted in 1976 as part of the Declaration on International Investment and Multinational Enterprises. Today, adhering countries include all 30 OECD Members as well as Argentina, Brazil, Chile, Egypt, Estonia, Israel, Latvia, Lithuania, Morocco, Peru, Romania, and Slovenia. Thus, the Guidelines are applicable to a large number of transnational corporations in their activities around the world.
Since their adoption, the Guidelines have been reformed on a number of occasions. They were last updated in 2000 when significant additions were made to the text, including the insertion of standards relating to sustainable development, human rights, and core labour standards. The next review of the Guidelines is currently underway and it offers an opportunity to make the Guidelines an even more effective tool in promoting good business behaviour.