This 14th annual report on the OECD Guidelines for Multinational Enterprises describes the activities undertaken to promote the observance of the Guidelines during the implementation cycle of June 2013-June 2014.

This review uses the OECD Policy Framework for Investment to provide an assessment of the investment climate in Egypt and to discuss the challenges and opportunities faced by the government of Egypt in its reform efforts.

In a context of neoliberal globalization, have the processes of elaboration and implementation of foreign investors' responsibilities by intergovernmental organizations reached the realm of legality? Using an analytical framework and a methodology that combines international law with international relations, this book provides a twofold answer to this question. First, it demonstrates that the normative integration of foreign investors' responsibilities in international investment law is fragmented and consistent with the interests of the most powerful actors. Second, while using the interactional theory of international law to assess the normative character of several international instruments elaborated and implemented by intergovernmental organizations, it highlights the sense of obligation that each instrument generates. The analysis demonstrates that such a codification process is marked by relations of power and has resulted in several social norms, with relatively few legal norms.

This Annual Report describes what adhering governments have done to live up to their commitment to promote the Guidelines over the 12 months to June 2013.

Corporate Social Responsibility in the Arctic considers the new trends and frontiers of Corporate Social Responsibility (CSR) studies that are shaping the future of global business strategy and ethics. This book systematically approaches the CSR framework of internal and external factors and their impact on the social responsibility of businesses within the sensitive environment of the Arctic. It presents traditional and contemporary models of CSR through case studies of the eight Arctic nations and explores the debates concerning social responsibility and ethical dilemmas related to social and environmental aspects of business operations, society, and ecosystems. Arruda and Johannsdottir also review approaches for engaging stakeholders in social responsibility, socio-environmental standards, and sustainability, according to frameworks like the UN Sustainable Development Goals, the UN Global Compact, the OECD Guidelines for Multinational Enterprises and the Global Reporting Initiative, but also according to the new CSR strategy in the Arctic based on circular economy, blue economy, smart specialization, knowledge-intensive entrepreneurship, and new parameters of education. Overall, this book examines the ways in which the changing climate and rich natural resources of the Arctic provide unique opportunities and challenges for businesses and societies. This book will be of great interest to students and scholars of CSR, sustainable business, and business ethics.

The decisions a corporation makes affect more than just its stakeholders and can have wide social, environmental, and economic consequences. The notion of corporate social responsibility (CSR) describes the relationship between a business and society as a whole, considering all tangential effects of business. This facilitates a business environment built around practical regulations and transparency necessary to ensure ethical and responsible business practice. Analyzing the Relationship between Corporate Social Responsibility and Foreign Direct Investment explores the relationship between ethical and environmental standards and foreign investment on the international market. As certain jurisdictions are hesitant to comply with these standards, this publication elucidates the benefits of practicing CSR as a means of sustainable economic growth and to mitigate devastating negative consequences, especially in the developing world. This book is a key reference source for professionals, economists, students of business and finance, policy makers, and government agencies.

Transnational business activities are important drivers of growth for developing and the least developed countries. However, they can also negatively impact the enjoyment of human rights. In some cases, multinational enterprises (MNEs) have even been accused of grave human rights abuses in the territory of the states where their subsidiaries operate. Since the parent companies of many MNEs are incorporated under the law of European states, those countries’ domestic law and the European legal framework play a crucial role in establishing how their activities should be conducted – also throughout their supply chains – and which remedies will be available when corporate human rights violations occur. In recent years, the European Union, the Council of Europe and their Member States have been adopting policies and legislation to ensure respect for human rights by businesses and have developed a body of related case law. These legal instruments can be considered the European responses to the challenges posed at international-law level, and they constitute the focus of research of this book. Through its collected chapters – written by scholars and practitioners under the direction of the editor, Angelica Bonfanti – the book identifies the European solutions to the business and human rights international legal issues, provides an overall assessment of their effectiveness, and examines their potential evolution.