Submitted by crinadmin on
The Special Rapporteur on contemporary forms of slavery, including its causes and consequences, submits the present report to the Human Rights Council pursuant to its resolution 6/14. In this report, the Special Rapporteur explores the issue of forced labour in more detail. As mentioned in her initial report, the Special Rapporteur has also focused on bonded labour as a pre-eminent example of forced labour. The Special Rapporteur believes that bonded labour as a form of slavery is a global issue. Neither its traditional form nor its subtle and new emerging forms have been sufficiently addressed. This is irrespective of the fact that many countries have ratified the slavery conventions and the relevant conventions of the International Labour Organization. The Special Rapporteur also found that where laws on forced labour exist, their enforcement is limited. In addition, the Special Rapporteur has found very few policies and programmes that address bonded labour. The Special Rapporteur believes that comprehensive action to eliminate this phenomenon requires strong political will and the coordinated actions of many Governments to enforce international law and protect the rights of all. In her conclusions, the Special Rapporteur also recommends that Governments, non-governmental organisations, United Nations agencies and private actors take specific prevention, prosecution and protection measures to combat forced and bonded labour. The Special Rapporteur also had extensive consultations with regard to her mandate. She held bilateral and multilateral discussions, including with Member States, engaged with agencies of the United Nations system and consulted widely with civil society and directly with communities. She also attended expert seminars and conferences. These consultations proved invaluable in helping to inform all aspects of the mandate.