Background

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In April 2024, Thailand applied for membership in the multilateral Organisation for Economic Cooperation and Development (OECD). Several other countries, including Indonesia in the Asia region, are also seeking membership. Since April, discussion on Thailand’s application has mostly been framed around the trade and investment opportunities membership would bring, not addressing the new obligations Thailand would also gain to promote responsible business conduct. If Thailand successfully accedes to the organisation, it will have to adhere to the OECD Guidelines for Multinational Enterprises on Responsible Business Conduct (Guidelines) and establish a “National Contact Point for Responsible Business Conduct” to promote good business practices and help resolve complaints over alleged corporate violations of human rights and environmental expectations.

In 2019, Thailand became the first Asian country to adopt a National Action Plan on Business and Human Rights. A second version was adopted in September 2023. However, due to lack of a ‘smart mix’ of voluntary and mandatory measures, notably on human rights due diligence, the Action Plans have failed to ensure adequate change while communities in Thailand and neighboring countries continue to struggle
for remediation for the adverse impacts of Thai companies’ activities and investments.
The OECD accession processes of Thailand, Indonesia, and other states constitute an important opportunity to compel concrete reform in the member candidates to ensure corporate accountability and access to remedy. This session will explore the issues and opportunities further:

 

• The first part of the discussion will present Thailand’s OECD membership bid and guide civil society and other stakeholders in how to advocate for the strongest possible human rights and environmental terms of accession for Thailand.

• The second part of the discussion will present the obligations Thailand would have, as an OECD member, to advance the responsible business conduct standards in the OECD Guidelines. Recently updated in 2023, the Guidelines set strong corporate standards on topics ranging from human rights, workers’ rights, and environment, to due diligence, disclosure, and corruption. In this part of the session, civil society from the Asia region will use real life case examples to offer guidance on how the OECD Guidelines can be used effectively to strengthen engagement with and activism by impacted communities, pursue remedy for corporate harm, and shape legal and policy reform on corporate accountability.

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Objectives

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• All audience members will increase their knowledge about the OECD, the accession process, and how to use it to leverage improved government policy and practice concerning corporate accountability for human rights and environmental impacts. 

• All audience members will increase their knowledge on the OECD Guidelines, National Contact Point network, and broader OECD responsible business conduct framework.

• Civil society participants especially will gain practical knowledge on how to use the Guidelines and NCPs effectively as part of their strategies for justice, including to strengthen activism by communities, seek remedy for corporate harms, and advocate stronger law and policy on corporate conduct.

• Thai and other government officials will gain insight on how to meet OECD obligations to promote responsible business conduct, such as through adopting mandatory due diligence standards, and establish an effective National Contact Point.

• Thai and other businesses will gain insight on practical benefits and steps to ensure robust due diligence processes to avoid and address harms to human rights and the environment.