Foreign investments and establishment of new businesses contribute to economic levelling and sustainable development in the societies they operate within.

Policy outcomes

At an international level:

1. The governance gaps are filled with effective, global regulations that are underpinned by democratic control at national level, and are implemented in an efficient supranational organ.

At a national level:

2. Norway has established a public inspectorate for Norwegian corporate social responsibility abroad, an ombudsperson.

3. The national contact point for OECD’s guidelines for multinational companies is reorganised, removed from the department for business promotion at the Ministry of Foreign Affairs, given the financial and human resources required to become more independent from business interests, and able to competently deal with complaints. 

4. The NPF-G introduces positive screening based on a three-part base line, where social and environmental indicators are included in the basis for selection.

5. The “Oil for Development” programme has a better development perspective that it does currently, and contributes to better economic development, human rights and democracy in the societies where it is implemented.