Paris/Vienna, 8 June 2023 – Today, the OECD released its updated guidelines for Multinational Enterprises on Responsible Business Conduct (RBC) and for the first time the OECD has included animal welfare, calling on enterprises to respect international animal welfare standards.

FOUR PAWS, the global animal welfare organisation, stated that despite billions of animals being used in multiple industries, every year, previously animal welfare had wrongly not been viewed as a concern for RBC. The latest iteration of the guidelines, which were last updated in 2011, clearly sets out that upholding animal welfare is both a key requirement of due diligence and for RBC, concluding that it was a “hugely progressive step in the right direction for animal welfare globally.”

The text recognises that good animal welfare is predicated on animals experiencing “positive physical and mental states” in line with the five domains, which is the most up to date model of assessing animal welfare.

The guidelines now ask enterprises to respect international animal welfare standards and describes “good welfare” as “ensuring that the animal is healthy, comfortable, and well nourished, as well as providing a stimulating and safe environment, ensured humane handling, and subjected only to humane slaughter or killing.”

The update now allows civil society to file complaints relating to irresponsible animal welfare practices to National Contact Points (NCPs) and speak to businesses about their failure to ensure that animal welfare in their value chains is consistent with the standards of the World Organisation for Animal Health.

“FOUR PAWS is delighted the spirit of the five domains has been maintained in the text as this is essential to meet high standards and future-proof the guidelines.

“FOUR PAWS welcomes that where companies do not meet at the very least the World Organisation for Animal Health (WOAH) standards that animal welfare civil society will now be able to hold them to account through the national contact points.

“Finally, FOUR PAWS looks forward to the next round of updates that recognise that animal welfare issues go beyond environmental risks but also broader cover broader due diligence questions such as public health.”

Background

OECD Guidelines for Multinational Enterprises on Responsible Business Conduct (Guidelines) – full paper

Selected OCED text reads:

"enterprises should respect animal welfare standards that are generally consistent with the World Organisation for Animal Health (WOAH) Terrestrial Code. An animal experiences good welfare if the animal is healthy, comfortable, well nourished, safe, is not suffering from unpleasant states such as pain, fear and distress, and is able to express behaviours that are important for its physical and mental state. Good animal welfare requires disease prevention and appropriate veterinary care, shelter, management and nutrition, a stimulating and safe environment, humane handling and humane slaughter or killing. In addition, enterprises should adhere to guidance for the transport of live animals developed by relevant international organisations."