Clarifying responsibilities "beyond borders"
Pressure is mounting to lift the “corporate veil” which shields parent companies from liability for activities of their subsidiaries through stronger national and extraterritorial legal mechanisms. How should governments exercise jurisdiction beyond their borders when companies based in their countries or their subsidiaries transgress internationally recognised human rights standards abroad? How should companies operate in countries with weaker protection of human rights?

Establishing universal criteria for operating in conflict zones
Companies operating in countries experiencing violent conflict and large scale rights violations face complex challenges and risks. What can business leaders do themselves to operate responsibly in such situations and what more should governments be doing to put in place administrative and legal measures aimed at preventing companies from contributing to human rights violations in areas of conflict?

Developing standards for human rights due diligence
Despite progress in recent years by leading companies and other stakeholders, there remains a lack of transparency, learning and quality assurance within much of the work aimed at providing human rights tools to support business in acting responsibly. How can incentives be created to encourage more sharing of experience in this area and greater collaboration in the years ahead?

Protecting migrant workers
The global economy has created a global workforce – some of whom are vulnerable to exploitation. What more can be done to protect the human rights of migrant workers who are often faced with lack of legal and social security, discrimination and in some cases the worst forms of abuse including trafficking and bonded labour?

Using Corporate Law to strengthen respect for human rights
Corporate law, like other domains which shape business practice, has remained largely outside of discussions relating to human rights. How might corporate law be used as a tool to establish clear obligations on corporate directors or managers to take into account human rights impacts of their businesses?

Improving non-financial risk measurement in the Financial Sector
The global financial crisis and the quick reassertion of ‘business as usual’ in the financial sector raise urgent questions about how social impacts and other non-financial issues can be more effectively integrated in risk assessments. How could human rights principles and standards support efforts aimed at financial sector reforms?

Understanding the business role in human rights advocacy
Companies operating globally increasingly face questions concerning their relationships with governments, particularly when operating in contexts where there may be conflicts between national laws and practices and international human rights and labour standards. Business leaders and their representatives lobby governments on issues they believe are important. How should companies be advocating on behalf of human rights?

Ensuring freedom of expression, privacy and security on the Internet
Billions of people use the Internet each day. Security, openness and privacy on the Internet have become critical issues as a result of the explosive growth in online traffic around the world. The implications for human rights are enormous and will require further engagement between governments, business and civil society in the years ahead.

Building consensus on corporate use and management of water
The range of human rights implications linked to access to water in areas of water scarcity as well as in contexts of pollution of aquifers or rivers by business activity remain largely unexplored. Many business sectors rely on access to water and a growing number are involved in water management in countries around the world. How should consensus on issues relating to the role of the private sector concerning water be shaped and how might rights-based approaches support such efforts?

Addressing challenges relating to land acquisition and use
Disputes relating to land remain at the heart of many conflicts between governments, businesses and local communities. How can clearer understandings and good practices around principles such as Free, Prior and Informed Consent/Consultation be developed? What guidance can be provided to governments in the use of Eminent Domain and what polices and tools can help ensure that corporate activities do not undermine protection of the right to information in relation to land ownership and planning, adequate compensation and access to community grievance mechanisms?