This study examines a unique form of public inquiry that we refer to as “privately commissioned public inquiries.” These inquir-ies focus on events or incidents that indicate broader structural problems of neglect, misjudgment, or injustice. Using qualitativeinterview methods, we explore such an inquiry in the global mining industry. We ask: what motivated the company to commis-sion an independent public-facing inquiry? The study finds that threats to organizational identity are vital precursors to commis-sioning the inquiry. We also find that the unease caused by public scrutiny supports the maintenance of the company's valuedidentity attributes, rather than disrupting them. Paradoxically, an artifact remains—the public report, a trace that resists thekind of “forgetting” that the company might use to maintain its identity. We conclude that this public “remembering” indirectlysupports organizational learning and advances the practice of human rights due diligence.