Contemporary forms of slavery.

Contemporary forms of slavery

Commission on Human Rights resolution 1995/27

1. Expresses its appreciation to the Working Group on Contemporary Forms of Slavery of the Subcommission on Prevention of Discrimination and Protection of Minorities for its valuable work, in particular the progress made at its nineteenth session in implementing its programme of work, and for its flexible methods of work;

2. Expresses its grave concern at manifestations of contemporary forms of slavery as reported to the Working Group;

3. Endorses the Subcommission's recommendations regarding the review of the implementation of the conventions on slavery with the proviso that the proposed three-year term of office of the members of the Working Group should not extend beyond their four-year term of membership of the Subcommission;

4. Requests the Subcommission to give further consideration to its proposed appointment of Ms. H.E. Warzazi as Special Rapporteur on the exploitation of child labour and debt bondage and to make the appointment subject to the submission of a preparatory document, and also requests the Subcommission, when it assesses the document, to determine the need for a Special Rapporteur and, if it considers the appointment of a Special Rapporteur is called for, to identify a specific set of activities, which should take account of the need to avoid duplication with other activities within the United Nations system, including activities of the International Labour Organisation and of the Special Rapporteur on the sale of children;

5. Invites the Subcommission to continue considering the strengthening of its involvement in the activities of the Working Group;

6. Requests the Secretary-General to invite those eligible States that have not ratified or acceded to the conventions on slavery to consider doing so as soon as possible or to explain in writing, if they so wish, why they feel unable to do so, and to consider providing information regarding their national legislation and practices in this field;

7. Invites intergovernmental organizations, relevant organizations of the United Nations system, as well as the International Criminal Police Organization and non-governmental organizations concerned, to supply relevant information to the Working Group;

8. Appeals to Governments and relevant non-governmental organizations to send representatives to the sessions of the Working Group;

9. Recommends that the supervisory bodies of the International Labour Organisation give particular attention in their work to the implementation of provisions and standards designed to ensure the protection of children and other persons exposed to contemporary forms of slavery;

10. Invites all Member States to consider the possibility of taking appropriate action for the protection of particularly vulnerable groups, such as children and migrant women, against exploitation by prostitution and other slavery-like practices, including the possibility of establishing national bodies to achieve this objective;

11. Encourages Governments to consider, in the context of the Programme of Action on the Elimination of the Exploitation of Child Labour and Debt Bondage, the adoption of measures and regulations to protect child labourers and to ensure that their labour is not exploited;

12. Invites the newly appointed Special Rapporteur on the sale of children to examine ways and means of cooperating with the Working Group;

13. Requests the Subcommission at its forty-seventh session to review the draft programme of action for the prevention of traffic in persons and the exploitation of the prostitution of others in the light of the comments already received or that will be received and to submit to the Commission at its fifty-second session a final draft for approval;

14. Requests Governments to pursue a policy of information, prevention and rehabilitation of children and women victims of the exploitation of prostitution and to take the appropriate economic and social measures deemed necessary to that effect;

15. Recalls once again its request to the Secretary-General to designate the Centre for Human Rights as the focal point for the coordination of activities in the United Nations system for the suppression of contemporary forms of slavery;

16. Requests the Secretary-General to give effect to his decision to reassign to the Working Group a Professional staff member of the Centre for Human Rights, as was the case in the past, to work on a permanent basis to ensure continuity and close coordination within and outside the Centre on issues relating to contemporary forms of slavery;

17. Expresses its regret that as a result of the present financial situation of the United Nations Voluntary Trust Fund on Contemporary Forms of Slavery, owing to a lack of contributions, the Board of Trustees of the Fund has only been able to meet once since it was appointed by the Secretary-General in 1993;

18. Appeals again to all Governments, organizations and individuals in a position to do so to respond favourably to requests for contributions to the Fund, if possible on a regular basis;

19. Commends the Board of Trustees on its concern about the limited assets of the Fund, demonstrated by its judicious measures to minimize administrative expenses;

20. Encourages the Subcommission to continue considering the development of systematic fund-raising methods and to recommend a set of measures, including that already proposed, to promote increased contributions to the Fund;

21. Requests the Secretary-General to transmit once again to all Governments the appeal of the Commission on Human Rights for contributions to the Fund.