The mission of The Human Rights & Business Roundtable is to promote the rule of law and open societies.

Launched in 1997, 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.

The Roundtable is ...

Confidential - The Roundtable facilitates off the record dialogue between human rights, business, and legal experts.

Collaborative - The agenda is set by and for its members, constantly striving to reflect the current interests of our members.

Constructive - The Roundtable focuses on joint advocacy, education, and action, building the internal capacity of each individual member while providing the opportunity to make a difference in the global community.

Cost-efficient - The Roundtable gives corporate members a competitive edge by reducing liabilities, strengthening relationships to stakeholders, and enhancing brand image. In turn, this face-to face dialogue allows NGOs to voice their concerns to corporations directly, saving the time and energy associated with other campaigning methods.

Case by case, the Roundtable brings together key stakeholders from corporations, NGOs and multilateral institutions to extract lessons learned and to identify best practices.

For example, the Roundtable has convened meetings on Human Rights Training for Security Forces; Free, Prior and Informed Consent; Accountability of NGOs; The Business Case for Investment in Health Issues; and Good Governance – Major Challenges & Opportunities.

Through case studies, working groups, and high-level networking events, the Roundtable aims to provide the international business and NGO communities with practical tools to navigate today's human rights challenges.

Partnering with Public Health Institute, Fund for Peace staff has supported the replication of the Roundtable model in Indonesia to support the development of the relationships, trust, and learning needed for partnerships to improve workplace and community health. The Health & Business Roundtable Indonesia (HBRI) has over 60 organizations (companies, non-governmental organizations and associations) that take part in the meetings.

The Fund for Peace is a strong supporter of The Voluntary Principles on Security & Human Rights.

For more information on Human Rights and Business Roundtable membership please contact Krista Hendry.