The ESCR-Net Corporate Accountability Working Group submitted a Joint NGO Report to a UN Consultation on Human Rights and the Extractive Industry in Geneva, on 10-11 November 2005. This report highlights patterns of violations in the extractive sector and gaps in the protection of human rights, containing the contributions and input of over twenty groups. The report concludes that there is a need for a common, international set of standards articulating the human rights responsibilities of business, which must ultimately be enforceable. The UN Norms represent a valuable step in this direction.