Joint Submission for U.S. National Action Plan on Responsible Business Conduct Regarding the U.S. Agency for International Development

Accountability Counsel, the Center for International Environmental Law (CIEL), and the International Corporate Accountability Roundtable (ICAR) have published a joint submission for the U.S. National Action on Responsible Business Conduct that specifically addresses the role of the U.S. Agency for International Development (USAID) in implementing the UN Guiding Principles on Business and Human Rights and the OECD Guidelines for Multinational Enterprises.

As one of the U.S. government’s primary vehicles for delivering bilateral development assistance and disaster relief, USAID has a tremendous impact on the human rights of some of the most vulnerable communities on the planet. This joint submission highlights several gaps in USAID's current implementation of business and human rights frameworks and offers concrete recommendations for improvement.

The joint submission can be downloaded here.

We urge those leading the U.S. NAP process to strongly consider these recommendations in drafting the content of the NAP and to continue engaging with civil society and other stakeholders in a transparent and inclusive process toward the NAP's development and implementation.

For more on the U.S. NAP, including links to many other submissions and useful resources, please visit nationalactionplan.us or contact Sara Blackwell, ICAR's Legal and Policy Coordinator, at sara@icar.ngo.