All of us at the Institute for Human Rights and Business mourn the loss of Nick Howen who passed away on 26 January 2010. Nick was one of the early thinkers and advocates from the human rights community to address the links between private sector activity and the protection of fundamental rights. From his role as lead researcher and writer for the International Council on Human Rights Policy report "Beyond Voluntarism" to his leadership of the International Commission of Jurists' work on corporate complicity in human rights abuses, Nick's contribution to the field of business and human rights is enormous. We and countless others have benefited greatly from Nick Howen's intellectual rigor, compassion, sense of justice and commitment to protection for the most vulnerable.