How do the Guidelines fit with private initiatives to achieve appropriate of business conduct?
Multinational enterprises (MNEs) are widely accepted as an integral part of the international economy, as agents for beneficial flows of investment capital and managerial and technological know-how, as creators of high quality, well paid jobs, and as an important source of tax revenues. MNEs thus contribute in many ways to promoting progress toward sustainable development. At the same time, public concerns remain about the social, economic and environmental impacts of their activities. The ability of MNEs to organise their operations beyond national boundaries gives rise to concerns about possible conflicts with national policies and about concentrations of economic and political power. These concerns may have been accentuated by the organisational complexity of some MNEs, which can make it difficult to follow and discern their activities. Many MNEs have taken steps to respond to these public concerns and to help create an atmosphere of public confidence. They have improved the managem
