All publications: responsible business conduct

Business and Human Rights

National Action Plans on Business and Human Rights. A Guide for Employer and Business Membership Organizations

The report examines private sector engagement in National Action Plans (NAPs) on Business and Human Rights across five Asia-Pacific countries: Lao PDR, Malaysia, Mongolia, the Philippines and Viet Nam. Drawing on stakeholder interviews and policy...

Research Brief

More and better jobs through trade, the role of responsible business conduct and international labour standards

Trade has the potential to drive economic growth and create more and better jobs. Yet these gains are neither guaranteed nor equally shared. This makes it essential for trade policy to explicitly consider its impact on job quantity and quality, and...

Social dialogue for sustainable trade and investment, the case of South Africa

When social dialogue functions well, it can connect economic and social policy objectives and strengthens cooperation among government, business, and workers' organisations. Helping align trade and foreign direct investment policies with sustainable...

Investor Guidelines for Responsible Business Conduct and Decent Work

Investor guidelines on responsible business conduct and decent work can help bridge the gap between host government expectations and investor practice. Investor guidelines are voluntary tools that clarify expectations and identify specific areas...

The promotion of sustainable, responsible and inclusive business practices among SMEs in Montenegro

This study examines how Small and Medium Enterprises (SMEs) in Montenegro are engaging with Responsible Business Conduct (RBC) and human rights due diligence (HRDD) for decent work, with the aim of identifying how institutional and policy frameworks...

ILO Working Paper 171

The role of national social dialogue institutions in shaping investment policies

This paper examines how national social dialogue institutions can help align foreign direct investment with decent work and sustainable development. Drawing on eleven case studies, it highlights emerging practices, institutional challenges and...

Aligning skills development with Sustainable Investment for more and better jobs

Case studies

Translating global principles into local practices: Enterprise case studies on responsible business conduct in the Lao People’s Democratic...

Operationalizing RBC for Decent Work: Sharing of experience from automotive sector enterprises in India

ESG (Environmental, Social and Governance)

Leading by example. Building environmental, social and governance services in Employer and Business Membership Organizations

Leading by example: Building environmental, social, and governance services in Employer and Business Membership Organizations This new brief, developed under the LEADER Knowledge Series, provides Employer and Business Membership Organizations...

Responsible business conduct (RBC)

From principles to practice: Responsible Business Conduct among Malaysian electrical and electronics and automotive enterprises

Research Brief

Investment facilitation for more and better jobs

This brief explores how foreign direct investment can support more and better jobs through productivity gains, technology transfer, skills development, enterprise linkages and responsible business conduct, while highlighting the key role of...

Fact sheet

Responsible and Inclusive Supply Chains for Migrant Workers in Thailand (RISC-Migrant)

The RISC-Migrant project is a one-year initiative led by the International Labour Organization (ILO) and supported by the supplementary budget of the Ministry of Foreign Affairs, Japan (MOFA). It delivers rapid and targeted support to protect...

Event summary

Migrant workers at the heart of Thai rubber sector equipped with labour rights and social protection knowledge

The workshop on Responsible Business Conduct (RBC) in the Thai rubber sector for migrant workers, held by the RISC-Migrant project on 25 September 2025, aims to address RBC implementation gaps in labour rights protection and raise awareness on...

Environmental, Social, and Governance (ESG)

Start where you are: ESG for companies of all sizes. The importance of ESG for small and medium-sized enterprises (SMEs)

This brief provides a practical introduction to why Environmental, Social and Governance (ESG) matters for businesses of every size, with a special focus on small- and medium-sized enterprises (SMEs). It clarifies the business case for ESG,...

Guide

Responsible business for decent work in the Indonesian electronics sector: A guide for SMEs

This toolkit was designed in close engagement with the Indonesian Employers Association (APINDO) as a practical, step-by-step resource to help companies operating in Indonesia’s electronics and wider manufacturing sector to understand and implement...

RBCLAC Project

Advancing Responsible Business Conduct in Latin America and the Caribbean

This brief highlights key results of the Responsible Business Conduct in Latin America and the Caribbean (RBCLAC) Project—implemented jointly by the ILO, OECD and OHCHR with European Union funding—including national sectoral roadmaps for agriculture...

Agriculture and Minerals

Sectoral Transformation through National Roadmaps on Responsible Business Conduct

Through targeted engagement, sector-specific roadmaps are being co-developed by the RBC-LAC Project with leading industry associations to align practices with international labour standards and due diligence processes.

Costa Rica

Addressing Forced Labour and the Labour Dimension of Responsible Business Conduct

In Costa Rica, the ILO developed the Fair Recruitment Toolbox for the sugar industry that included guidelines for preventing and addressing forced labour risks hence ensuring alignment with the local context related to labour recruitment practices...

Summary report

Results from the Driving Industry Dialogue (DID) toolkit rollout in the Thai automotive sector