The paper presents the state of the art of cooperation among National Human Rights Institutions (NHRIs) within the area of business and human rights and highlights perspectives for further development. The results are drawn from consultations with NHRIs and regional NHRI network secretariats in Africa, Latin America, and Asia. In addition to providing practical guidance, the paper develops a model for a general network strategy adapted to the needs of NHRIs and dealing with transnational business and human rights issues. Managing cooperation among NHRIs as well as with external stakeholders requires addressing three dimensions: understanding, legitimacy, and the system of access to resources. Three fields of action correspond to these dimensions: communication, requests/sanctioning, and mutual undertakings/influence. Focal points, bodies of cooperation, and individual officers need to take into consideration that cooperation on a specific issue not only affects the overall cooperation structure, but also has repercussions for other issues and the relationship with external stakeholders.
