The UN Working Group on Business and Human Rights (UNWG) convened a multi-stakeholder workshop in Geneva on 11 May 2017 to generate ideas for its work on the issue of the role of business in relation to human rights defenders and preserving civic space. More than 40 representatives from business associations, civil society organizations, companies, a national human rights institution and the UN as well as human rights defenders participated... The Business and Human Rights Resource Centre analysis suggests that the most dangerous sector is extractives, followed by agri-business; ... the six most dangerous countries for human rights defenders addressing the impacts of business are in Latin America, followed by the Philippines; ... [and] that 25 per cent of companies involved in allegations are headquartered in Canada, China and the United States... The UNGPs include a few references to human rights defenders, mentioning them as a specific source of expertise to be consulted as part of corporate human rights due diligence, and the need for protecting their freedoms in relation to remedy proceedings... Respecting and protecting defenders should be considered a “pre-competitive” issue, so it should be in everybody’s interest to find solutions. There is a need to engage the supply chain as a whole, and sourcing companies should signal that they will only work with suppliers who respect human rights defenders, unions and freedom of association.