On 23 May 2008 Global Witness and BIICL co-hosted a meeting in London to identify ways of minimizing human rights abuses caused by companies operating in volatile areas by moving from John Ruggie's policy framework and into practice. Situations where host governments are either unable or unwilling to assume their responsibilities are especially important to consider within the human rights and business debate. Often these are places where protections against human rights violations are weak and widespread repression and violence occurs. In this environment, companies face a greater risk of committing or exacerbating human rights violations.