A/HRC/41/49 Contents Page I. Introduction ................................................................................................................................... 3 II. Key messages from the plenary sessions....................................................................................... 4 A. Opening plenary.................................................................................................................... 4 B. Plenary on global governance and policy coherence ............................................................ 6 C. Closing plenary ..................................................................................................................... 7 State action .................................................................................................................................... 8 A. Regulatory and policy developments .................................................................................... 8 B. “Leading by example” .......................................................................................................... 9 C. Realizing access to effective remedy .................................................................................... 10 Corporate respect for human rights ............................................................................................... 11 A. Towards effective human rights due diligence? Challenges and emerging practices ........... 11 B. Small and medium-sized enterprises .................................................................................... 13 C. Corporate respect for human rights and the Sustainable Development Goals ...................... 14 D. Role of the investment community in driving more and better human rights due diligence ......................................................................................................................... 14 Role of business lawyers....................................................................................................... 15 Issues in focus ............................................................................................................................... 16 A. Groups at risk ........................................................................................................................ 16 B. Human rights defenders, civic freedoms and the role of business ........................................ 17 C. Connecting the corporate responsibility to respect human rights and the environment ........ 18 D. Technology and corporate respect for human rights ............................................................. 18 E. Implementing the Guiding Principles in conflict and post-conflict contexts ........................ 19 Overall key messages and takeaways ............................................................................................ 20 III. IV. E. V. VI. 2