Recently Mr Frank Di’Giorgio was appointed as Australia’s National Contact Point, as part of his role with the Australian Federal Treasury. The National Contact Point is charged with resolving disputes between people affected by Australian corporate operations and the companies involved – in line with the OCED’s Guidelines for Multinational Enterprises.
In what ACAN hopes is an indication of what the rest of his time in the position will be like, Mr Di’Giorgio has organised consultations with civil society in Melbourne and Sydney this month.
This development coincides with the ACAN Secretariat’s lobbying in support of Oxfam Australia’s calls for the Australian Government to reform the National Contact Point. Reform to this important corporate accountability mechanism could provide far greater access to limited forms of resolution for people affected by Australian corporate activities in Australia and overseas.
Oxfam Australia, an ACAN member, along with other Australia civil society organisations, is calling for the Australian National Contact Point to undertake reforms to its structure and function to align more closely with more progressive NCP models in the UK, Norway and the Netherlands.
ACAN forwarded the letter of support for these calls for reform to Mr Di’Giorgio on the eve of the ANCP’s consultation in Melbourne last week. We hope to receive feedback soon.
For more information on the ANCP, follow this link. For additional information on the highest international standards for a national contact point see OECD Watch’s Model NCP guide here.
