The Center and the U.S. Council for International Business (USCIB) kicked off a series of consultations on President Obama's recently announced National Action Plan (NAP) on Responsible Business Conduct. The NAP will outline how the U.S. government can promote and incentivize transparency, responsibility, and respect for human rights in U.S. business operations abroad.

The consultation brought together businesses, advocates, academics and others to provide recommendations to Administration officials. Ambassador Elizabeth Cousens of the U.S. Mission to the United Nations offered the keynote address. Panelists representing the U.S. Department of State and U.S. Department of Labor participated throughout the day. Attendees broke into groups to discuss specific areas of concern, including land and labor rights, social risks in the extractive sector, and financial sector due diligence.

Summaries of the breakout sessions are available here. 

The Center will take part in the next NAP consultations at University of California Berkeley and the University of Oklahoma.