Paris/Brussels, 9th June - Yesterday, 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” is achieved “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.” 

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.  

Sophie Aylmer, FOUR PAWS Head of Farm Animals & Nutrition Policy, stated, “This is a long-awaited success story for animal welfare. Its inclusion as a definition in the world’s leading RBC guidelines is long overdue and reflects the growing importance businesses, consumers and governments are placing on animal welfare. This is a natural step forward with more and more OECD states recognising animal sentience and the link between irresponsible multinational enterprises conduct on animals and its adverse impacts on animals, people, and the planet. 

“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.  

“As the European Union revises its legislation on animal welfare we hope that the five domains will serve as a guiding principle for the European Commission’s proposals, ensuring that the EU remains a leader in promoting high standards of animal welfare and corporate social responsibility, and does not fall behind other OECD member states. 

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

ENDS 
 
BACKGROUND 
 
OECD Guidelines for Multinational Enterprises on Responsible Business Conduct (Guidelines) - full paper: OECD Guidelines for Multinational Enterprises on Responsible Business Conduct | OECD iLibrary (oecd-ilibrary.org)

Selected OECD 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."