WUNRN
Direct Link to FULL DOCUMENT:
UNITED NATIONS HUMAN RIGHTS COUNCIL
- 8th SESSION
Review, Rationalisation and
Improvement of Special Procedures Mandates
SPECIAL RAPPORTEUR ON TRAFFICKING IN
PERSONS, ESPECIALLY IN WOMEN AND CHILDREN
"Germany and the Philippines,
the main sponsors of the Resolution to renew the Mandate of the Special
Rapporteur on Trafficking in Persons, Especially in Women and Children, jointly
condemned the trafficking in persons as a grave violation of human rights. They
stressed the need to identify and address the root causes of trafficking, and
urged all States to adopt national initiatives to combat this activity.
As the Special Rapporteur was unable
to attend the session, Ms. Soussan Raadi-Azarakhchi, Director of the Special
Procedures Division at the Office of the High Commissioner for Human Rights
(OHCHR), spoke on the recent activities of the Mandate holder. The Special
Rapporteur, appointed for a three-year term, has submitted three annual
reports, made joint communications to governments, and carried out country
visits.
The States that took the floor were
unanimous in their denunciation of trafficking in persons and expressed their
support for the renewal of the Mandate, and a number of suggestions were made
for strengthening it.
Sri Lanka and Turkey highlighted the
need for a victim-centred approach, while Belarus stressed the importance of
cooperation between the Mandate holder and States, as well as between States.
The latter also pointed to the need to eliminate the demand for services of
trafficking victims. Spain specifically emphasized the need to protect
children. Some States also took the opportunity to inform the Council of
national initiatives to combat trafficking. Two NGO's had asked for the floor,
but neither was present when the floor was offered to them. (Asian Forum for
Human Rights and Development and MAPP).
Germany, speaking also on behalf of
the Philippines, closed the discussion inviting States to participate in the
informal consultations that it has organised on the Resolution to renew this
Mandate. Both countries expressed their hope that the Resolution will be
adopted by consensus."
_______________________________________________________________________
______________________________________________________________________
|
|
|
Special
Rapporteur on Trafficking in Persons , Especially in Women and Children
At its sixtieth
session, the Commission on Human Rights adopted decision 2004/110, by which it
decided to appoint, for a three-year period, a Special Rapporteur on
trafficking in persons, especially women and children to focus on the human
rights aspects of the victims of trafficking in persons. In the same decision,
the Commission invited the Special Rapporteur to submit annual reports to the
Commission together with recommendations on measures required to uphold and
protect the human rights of the victims. The Commission requested the Special
Rapporteur to respond effectively to reliable information on possible human
rights violations with a view to protecting the human rights of actual or
potential victims of trafficking and to cooperate fully with other relevant
special rapporteurs, in particular the Special Rapporteur on violence against
women, and to take full account of their contributions to the issue. The
Commission also requested the Special Rapporteur to cooperate with relevant
United Nations bodies, regional organizations and victims and their
representatives. The Economic and Social Council, in its decision 2004/228,
endorsed Commission on Human Rights’ decision 2004/110.
In the discharge of
his/her mandate, the Special Rapporteur:
a) Takes action on violations committed against trafficked
persons and on situations in which there has been a failure to protect their
human rights (See Individual complaints)
b)
Undertakes country visits in order to study the situation
in situ and formulate recommendations to prevent and or combat trafficking and
protect the human rights of its victims in specific countries and/or regions
c)
Submits annual reports on the activities of the
mandate
Special Rapporteur:
================================================================
To leave the list, send your request by email to: wunrn_listserve-request@lists.wunrn.com.
Thank you.