This institute aims to conduct research focusing on a series of transnational threats to the human rights of civilian populations, and to generate independent research, disseminate policy papers, and advocate nonpartisan policy proposals available to both domestic and international policymakers. Key areas it focuses on inclulde:
- genocide (historical and contemporary)
- restitution and compensation for slave and forced labor
- corporate social responsibility and human development
- intra-state conflict and human rights
- internal displacement, forced migration, and refugees
- environmental degradation and personal welfare