BY J.J. MESSNER AND HANNAH BLYTH*

The mission of The Human Rights & Business Roundtable is to promote the rule of law and open societies. Launched in 1996, the Roundtable was the first forum designed for multinational businesses and mainstream human rights organizations to discuss issues of common concern in an atmosphere of mutual respect, trust, and confidentiality.

Today, the Roundtable focuses exclusively on the extractive industry, although the lessons learned and case studies of the Roundtable provide value to all sectors. The Roundtable is an invaluable resource for corporations and NGOs to work together to promote sustainable development.

*Christina Murphy, Amanda Quinn, Charlotte Bellm, Sagal Hashi, Fadia Hyee, Robert Kerr, and Cathryn Shelton also contributed to this report.

.