In October, Yahoo!’s BHRP had the honor of participating in the United Nation’s Office of the High Commissioner for Human Rights’ consultation on business and human rights in Geneva...presented by Special Representative of the Secretary-General on human rights and transnational corporations...John Ruggie... [On] a panel about the second principle, the corporate responsibility to respect human rights...I was asked to discuss the dilemmas companies like Yahoo! face when...local laws...may conflict with international human rights norms, and to give recommendations on what the Special Representative should consider when developing specific guidelines for companies. I talked about...how access to the Internet is often even more important in countries that restrict free expression. I talked about...how requiring information and technology companies to refrain from offering products and services in countries that restrict free expression can actually punish the citizens in those countries who rely on technology to communicate and connect with the outside world.