The Organisation for Economic Co-operation and Development's Guidelines for Multinational Enterprises set standards for responsible business conduct across a range of issues such as human rights, labour rights, and the environment. The OECD Guidelines also establish a unique, government-backed, international grievance mechanism to address complaints between companies covered by the OECD Guidelines, and individuals who feel negatively impacted by irresponsible business conduct.

The National Contact Point's task is to raise awareness of the Guidelines and to implement the complaint mechanism, i.e. provide the victim in case of a violation of the Guidelines with a remedy. The use of the complaint mechanism under the Guidelines in New Zealand has been negligible, whereas in the Netherlands the NCP plays an active role in holding businesses to account.

Dr. Maartje van Putten is Chair of the NCP of the Netherlands, handling specific complaints received against Netherlands based international operating enterprises.  Dr van Putten wrote her PhD study on accountability mechanisms and authored Policing the Banks, Accountability Mechanisms for the Financial Sector published in 2008 by McGill Queens University Press Canada.

This event was held with the support of the Ministry of Business, Innovation, and Employment.