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Prevention of trafficking in persons 2010, para. 30c
- Paragraph text
- [Demand for the services of trafficked persons or for commodities they have been involved in producing may come from a variety of sources, including:] An employer who wants a particularly docile or subservient worker;
- Body
- Special Rapporteur on trafficking in persons, especially in women and children
- Document type
- Special Procedures' report
- Topic(s)
- Equality & Inclusion
- Violence
- Person(s) affected
- N.A.
- Year
- 2010
- Date added
- Aug 19, 2019
Paragraph
The right to an effective remedy for trafficked persons 2011, para. 30
- Paragraph text
- The ensuing subsections discuss different methods through which trafficked persons may seek compensation and associated challenges, while also highlighting some positive developments.
- Body
- Special Rapporteur on trafficking in persons, especially in women and children
- Document type
- Special Procedures' report
- Topic(s)
- Equality & Inclusion
- Violence
- Person(s) affected
- N.A.
- Year
- 2011
- Date added
- Aug 19, 2019
Paragraph
The issue of human trafficking in supply chains 2012, para. 24
- Paragraph text
- While international law is primarily addressed to States, it is clearly recognized that powerful non-State actors such as corporations have responsibilities to respect human rights. Indeed, the preamble of the Universal Declaration of Human Rights explicitly states that the responsibility is one for every individual and every organ of society, indicating that respect for human rights is a shared responsibility of States and non-State actors. Since the 1970s, a number of intergovernmental organizations have formulated voluntary guidelines, declarations and codes of conduct aimed at regulating corporate activities. The discussion has intensified over the past decade or so, culminating in the development of further non-binding instruments directed at businesses to ensure greater respect for human rights. One of the earlier examples is the Global Compact, which encourages businesses to align their operations and strategies with 10 universally accepted principles in the areas of human rights, labour, environment and anti-corruption. While it does not specifically refer to trafficking in persons, it does call for the elimination of all forms of forced and compulsory labour and child labour, in addition to the elimination of discrimination in respect of employment and occupation. The Global Compact seeks to bring corporate actors into the arena of human rights and, since its launch in July 2000, more than 8,700 companies in 130 countries have signed up to it. Concerns have been expressed, however, that the entry process is not sufficiently selective or conducive to high-quality participation and that there is no adequate and effective monitoring and verification of implementation by the participants.
- Body
- Special Rapporteur on trafficking in persons, especially in women and children
- Document type
- Special Procedures' report
- Topic(s)
- Equality & Inclusion
- Governance & Rule of Law
- Person(s) affected
- N.A.
- Year
- 2012
- Date added
- Aug 19, 2019
Paragraph
Integration of a human rights-based approach in measures to discourage the demand that fosters all forms of exploitation of persons, especially women and children, and which leads to human trafficking 2013, para. 41
- Paragraph text
- As stated in the Trafficking in Persons Protocol, factors that make people vulnerable to trafficking and demand must be addressed in the strategies to prevent trafficking. This is further reinforced by the Recommended Principles and Guidelines on Human Rights and Human Trafficking. Principles 4 and 5 and guideline 7 provide that strategies to prevent trafficking shall address demand as a root cause and States shall ensure that their interventions address the factors that increase vulnerability to trafficking, including inequality, poverty and all forms of discrimination. States may be held legally responsible for their failure to take adequate measures to prevent trafficking in persons, including measures to discourage demand. States in which exploitation of persons occurs or is alleged to occur have a particular responsibility to take action to discourage demand.
- Body
- Special Rapporteur on trafficking in persons, especially in women and children
- Document type
- Special Procedures' report
- Topic(s)
- Equality & Inclusion
- Governance & Rule of Law
- Movement
- Violence
- Person(s) affected
- All
- N.A.
- Year
- 2013
- Date added
- Aug 19, 2019
Paragraph
Integration of a human rights-based approach in measures to discourage the demand that fosters all forms of exploitation of persons, especially women and children, and which leads to human trafficking 2013, para. 73
- Paragraph text
- In its general comment No. 27 (1999) on freedom of movement, the Human Rights Committee emphasized the importance of the principle of proportionality, in the context of principles which were applicable when determining what restrictions it is legitimate for States to impose on freedom of movement. It reads: "Restrictive measures must conform to the principle of proportionality; they must be appropriate to achieve their protective function; they must be the least intrusive instrument amongst those which might achieve the desired result; and they must be proportionate to the interest to be protected."
- Body
- Special Rapporteur on trafficking in persons, especially in women and children
- Document type
- Special Procedures' report
- Topic(s)
- Equality & Inclusion
- Governance & Rule of Law
- Person(s) affected
- N.A.
- Year
- 2013
- Date added
- Aug 19, 2019
Paragraph
The first decade of the mandate of the Special Rapporteur on trafficking in persons, especially women and children 2014, para. 17
- Paragraph text
- The initial mandate of the Special Rapporteur was for three years. In 2008, in resolution 8/12, the Human Rights Council extended the mandate for a further three years, in order to, inter alia, "promote the prevention of trafficking in persons in all its forms and the adoption of measures to uphold and protect the human rights of victims". The appointment of the current mandate holder was based on this resolution. The resolution specifically requested the Special Rapporteur to, inter alia, promote the effective application of relevant international norms and standards and contribute to the further improvement of them; integrate a gender and age perspective throughout the work of the mandate; identify and share best practices, propose adequate responses to challenges and obstacles, in order to uphold and protect the human rights of victims, and identify gaps in protection in this regard; emphasize practical solutions, including through international cooperation; and respond to reliable information on alleged human rights violations with a view to protecting the human rights of actual or potential victims of trafficking. Specific reference was made in the resolution to the relevant international instruments: the Universal Declaration of Human Rights, the International Covenant on Civil and Political Rights, the International Covenant on Economic, Social and Cultural Right, the Convention on the Elimination of All Forms of Discrimination against Women, the Convention on the Rights of the Child and its Protocol on the sale of children, child prostitution and child pornography and the Protocol to Prevent, Suppress and Punish Trafficking in Persons, especially Women and Children, supplementing the United Nations Convention against Transnational Organized Crime.
- Body
- Special Rapporteur on trafficking in persons, especially in women and children
- Document type
- Special Procedures' report
- Topic(s)
- Equality & Inclusion
- Governance & Rule of Law
- Violence
- Person(s) affected
- N.A.
- Year
- 2014
- Date added
- Aug 19, 2019
Paragraph
The first decade of the mandate of the Special Rapporteur on trafficking in persons, especially women and children 2014, para. 41
- Paragraph text
- During the first decade of the mandate, the mandate holders have consistently sought to identify those factors that contribute to increasing the vulnerability to trafficking of an individual or a group. The work of the mandate has revealed consistency across all regions and all manifestations of trafficking with regard to the factors that include human rights violations associated with (a) poverty and inequality, (b) migration and (c) discrimination, including through gender-based violence. Critically, there is almost never a single root cause; as the Special Rapporteur has noted, "it is the combination of multiple factors that may place certain individuals at a higher risk of being trafficked" (A/65/288, para. 26). The Special Rapporteur has maintained throughout that States have a legal obligation to work to prevent trafficking by addressing vulnerability. That obligation is part of international treaty law and has been regularly affirmed by the Human Rights Council and the General Assembly, as well as by the human rights treaty bodies.
- Body
- Special Rapporteur on trafficking in persons, especially in women and children
- Document type
- Special Procedures' report
- Topic(s)
- Equality & Inclusion
- Gender
- Movement
- Violence
- Person(s) affected
- N.A.
- Year
- 2014
- Date added
- Aug 19, 2019
Paragraph
Strengthening voluntary standards for businesses on preventing and combating trafficking in persons and labour exploitation, especially in supply chains 2017, para. 45
- Paragraph text
- At the same time, representatives from the auditing community raised concerns about their limited role in addressing audit findings and the implementation of their recommendations. Moreover, many of the issues that constitute the root causes of common labour abuses identified at the supply chain level, such as those related to unethical recruitment practices and compulsory overtime, are strongly connected to the behaviour and business decisions of client companies. Some representatives of the auditing community also noted the difficulties faced in bringing such concerns to the attention of client companies, given the race-to-the-bottom practice encouraged by some in the audit industry who agree to perform audits under unrealistic conditions.
- Body
- Special Rapporteur on trafficking in persons, especially in women and children
- Document type
- Special Procedures' report
- Topic(s)
- Equality & Inclusion
- Violence
- Person(s) affected
- N.A.
- Year
- 2017
- Date added
- Aug 19, 2019
Paragraph
Strengthening voluntary standards for businesses on preventing and combating trafficking in persons and labour exploitation, especially in supply chains 2017, para. 57
- Paragraph text
- Participants in the consultations also discussed the professionalization of social auditing, current trends and developments in the industry and industry efforts to enhance auditor capacity and performance. They examined good practices in the area of assessment, partnerships with civil society and lessons learned in complementing audits with other strategies to enhance supply chain accountability. Members of the Association of Professional Social Compliance Auditors, recently established to enhance the professionalism of individual auditors and organizations performing independent social compliance audits, have been discussing the scope of social compliance audits, the competencies required of an auditor and the requirement for an audit firm to ensure their auditors are able to perform audits and act with integrity and independence at all times.
- Body
- Special Rapporteur on trafficking in persons, especially in women and children
- Document type
- Special Procedures' report
- Topic(s)
- Equality & Inclusion
- Governance & Rule of Law
- Person(s) affected
- N.A.
- Year
- 2017
- Date added
- Aug 19, 2019
Paragraph
Strengthening voluntary standards for businesses on preventing and combating trafficking in persons and labour exploitation, especially in supply chains 2017, para. 67
- Paragraph text
- Multi-stakeholder initiatives should map all relevant stakeholders for each specific standard, taking trade unions into special account, and ensure they are actively involved in the determination of criteria and indicators in the standard-setting process and subsequent revisions. They should also ensure that gender considerations are embedded in the standard when specific vulnerabilities based on gender are identified within the industry or workplace affected by the standard. Multi-stakeholder initiatives should consider establishing a capacity-building programme adapted to each audience to equip stakeholders to participate in the standard-setting and standard-revision processes.
- Body
- Special Rapporteur on trafficking in persons, especially in women and children
- Document type
- Special Procedures' report
- Topic(s)
- Economic Rights
- Equality & Inclusion
- Gender
- Governance & Rule of Law
- Person(s) affected
- N.A.
- Year
- 2017
- Date added
- Aug 19, 2019
Paragraph
Integration of a human rights-based approach in measures to discourage the demand that fosters all forms of exploitation of persons, especially women and children, and which leads to human trafficking 2013, para. 66
- Paragraph text
- According to the Guiding Principles on Business and Human Rights, "the responsibility to respect human rights requires that business enterprises: (a) avoid causing or contributing to adverse human rights impacts through their own activities, and address such impacts when they occur; (b) seek to prevent or mitigate adverse human rights impacts that are directly linked to their operations, products or services by their business relationships, even if they have not contributed to those impacts" (guiding principle 13).
- Body
- Special Rapporteur on trafficking in persons, especially in women and children
- Document type
- Special Procedures' report
- Topic(s)
- Economic Rights
- Equality & Inclusion
- Person(s) affected
- N.A.
- Year
- 2013
- Date added
- Aug 19, 2019
Paragraph
Agenda setting of the work of the Special Rapporteur 2015, para. 73
- Paragraph text
- The Special Rapporteur will endeavour to develop thematic expertise through studies, reports and other tools, in order to make substantial contributions to poorly understood or new areas of concern. The thematic areas will be carefully chosen on the basis of their relative importance and urgency, as well as the capacity of the Special Rapporteur to make a contribution to shaping international standards and promoting awareness in the chosen area. In this regard, some of the themes the Special Rapporteur has already identified as priorities are to be found in section III of the present report.
- Body
- Special Rapporteur on trafficking in persons, especially in women and children
- Document type
- Special Procedures' report
- Topic(s)
- Equality & Inclusion
- Governance & Rule of Law
- Person(s) affected
- N.A.
- Year
- 2015
- Date added
- Aug 19, 2019
Paragraph
Strengthening voluntary standards for businesses on preventing and combating trafficking in persons and labour exploitation, especially in supply chains 2017, para. 35
- Paragraph text
- Companies have also addressed sustainability concerns through industry-led initiatives. These are industry associations or coalitions that bring together companies around a voluntary code of conduct or standard and a compliance programme on sustainability issues, including human rights and labour standards. While the modus operandi is similar to that of multi-stakeholder initiatives, there may be differences in the organization of the governance structures, with businesses, including suppliers, playing a stronger role.
- Body
- Special Rapporteur on trafficking in persons, especially in women and children
- Document type
- Special Procedures' report
- Topic(s)
- Economic Rights
- Equality & Inclusion
- Person(s) affected
- N.A.
- Year
- 2017
- Date added
- Aug 19, 2019
Paragraph
Strengthening voluntary standards for businesses on preventing and combating trafficking in persons and labour exploitation, especially in supply chains 2017, para. 43
- Paragraph text
- During the consultation, private sector stakeholders expressed concern about the difficulty of designing a system that could efficiently support the efforts of companies moving at different speeds in achieving sustainability targets. It is difficult for multi-stakeholder organizations to address the capacity-building needs of those starting to implement measures to achieve baseline targets, while responding to others who are seeking a platform to launch new tools to move beyond baseline targets towards higher levels of corporate due diligence.
- Body
- Special Rapporteur on trafficking in persons, especially in women and children
- Document type
- Special Procedures' report
- Topic(s)
- Equality & Inclusion
- Governance & Rule of Law
- Person(s) affected
- N.A.
- Year
- 2017
- Date added
- Aug 19, 2019
Paragraph
Regional and subregional cooperation in promoting a human rights-based approach to combatting trafficking in persons 2010, para. 127
- Paragraph text
- [With regard to prevention, regional mechanisms should take the actions set out in the following paragraphs:]Promote bilateral cooperation between countries and between regional organizations and countries aimed at adopting measures to reduce vulnerabilities in source areas.
- Body
- Special Rapporteur on trafficking in persons, especially in women and children
- Document type
- Special Procedures' report
- Topic(s)
- Equality & Inclusion
- Governance & Rule of Law
- Person(s) affected
- N.A.
- Year
- 2010
- Date added
- Aug 19, 2019
Paragraph
The issue of human trafficking in supply chains 2012, para. 26
- Paragraph text
- The business responsibility to respect human rights requires that businesses not only avoid causing or contributing to adverse human rights impacts through their own activities, but also seek to prevent or mitigate adverse human rights impacts that are directly linked to their operations, products or services by their business relationships, even if they have not contributed to those impacts (principle 13). To meet this responsibility, businesses are encouraged to have in place appropriate policies and processes, including a policy commitment to respect human rights, a human rights due-diligence process and processes to enable the remediation of any adverse human rights impacts that they cause or to which they contribute (principle 15). The Guiding Principles acknowledge that, where the adverse human rights impact is directly linked to the business operations, products or services by its business relationship with another entity, it is more complex to delineate the content of the responsibility to respect human rights, and what constitutes appropriate action may vary according to the enterprise's leverage over the entity concerned, how crucial the relationship is to the enterprise, the severity of the abuse and whether terminating the relationship with the entity itself would have adverse human rights consequences (principle 19).
- Body
- Special Rapporteur on trafficking in persons, especially in women and children
- Document type
- Special Procedures' report
- Topic(s)
- Economic Rights
- Equality & Inclusion
- Governance & Rule of Law
- Person(s) affected
- N.A.
- Year
- 2012
- Date added
- Aug 19, 2019
Paragraph
Integration of a human rights-based approach in measures to discourage the demand that fosters all forms of exploitation of persons, especially women and children, and which leads to human trafficking 2013, para. 27
- Paragraph text
- The responsibilities of States with respect to the activities of businesses operating in their territory and/or jurisdiction were summarized in 2011 in the Guiding Principles on Business and Human Rights (A/HRC/17/31), developed by the Special Representative of the Secretary-General on the issue of human rights and transnational corporations and other business enterprises. They point out what States are required to do the necessary to ensure that what is called a "foundational principle" is respected: this requires that "States should set out clearly the expectation that all business enterprises domiciled in their territory and/or jurisdiction respect human rights throughout their operations" (principle 2). It also stipulates that States should, inter alia, "provide effective guidance to business enterprises on how to respect human rights throughout their operations" and "encourage, and where appropriate require, business enterprises to communicate how they address their human rights impacts" (operational principle 3 (c) and (d)).
- Body
- Special Rapporteur on trafficking in persons, especially in women and children
- Document type
- Special Procedures' report
- Topic(s)
- Economic Rights
- Equality & Inclusion
- Governance & Rule of Law
- Person(s) affected
- N.A.
- Year
- 2013
- Date added
- Aug 19, 2019
Paragraph
Strengthening voluntary standards for businesses on preventing and combating trafficking in persons and labour exploitation, especially in supply chains 2017, para. 34
- Paragraph text
- In order to evaluate the compliance of companies and grant certification, if applicable, multi-stakeholder initiatives establish an assurance programme. The ISEAL Alliance defines assurance as the demonstrable evidence that specified requirements relating to a product, process, system, person or body are fulfilled. Some voluntary standards organizations use the term certification system instead. Models of assurance vary in their approach and level of rigour, which range from self-assessments to third-party auditing. Models of audit methodology may differ in terms of frequency and intensity, and with regard to the requirements auditors need to meet to perform the audit. Assurance programmes also use different scoring systems to rate applicant companies on their level of compliance with the standard. Today, many multi-stakeholder initiatives have opted for a stepwise or continuous improvement approach, rather than a pass-fail approach, and assign a prominent role to capacity-building activities that help companies to understand and tackle challenges in the implementation of the standard and in fulfilling compliance requirements.
- Body
- Special Rapporteur on trafficking in persons, especially in women and children
- Document type
- Special Procedures' report
- Topic(s)
- Equality & Inclusion
- Governance & Rule of Law
- Person(s) affected
- N.A.
- Year
- 2017
- Date added
- Aug 19, 2019
Paragraph
Strengthening voluntary standards for businesses on preventing and combating trafficking in persons and labour exploitation, especially in supply chains 2017, para. 47
- Paragraph text
- This lack of accountability at lower levels of the supply chain inhibits the multiplier effect that efforts to implement the standards should have in bringing the larger group within the industry under the same standard. Companies’ leverage over their suppliers in today’s complex supply chains, in which individual companies may represent a small percentage of a supplier’s business share, can prove very limited if it is not accompanied by a collective action from the industry as a whole. While efforts by industry coalitions and multi-stakeholder initiatives are aimed at breaking through such barriers, current individual corporate limits on supply chain transparency hinder the use of powerful tools such as the consumer thirst for greater accountability, as lower levels in the supply chain hidden by a lack of transparency would be immune to such demands for accountability. Also, suppliers whose business relationships are predominantly with companies based in countries where there is a higher level of consumer awareness and where national legislation requires a higher degree of due diligence and transparency will respond differently to their buyers’ requirements regarding compliance with human rights and labour standards than will suppliers whose main business relationships are with companies based in countries with less robust national frameworks and lower consumer demand for ethically produced goods.
- Body
- Special Rapporteur on trafficking in persons, especially in women and children
- Document type
- Special Procedures' report
- Topic(s)
- Equality & Inclusion
- Governance & Rule of Law
- Person(s) affected
- N.A.
- Year
- 2017
- Date added
- Aug 19, 2019
Paragraph
Strengthening voluntary standards for businesses on preventing and combating trafficking in persons and labour exploitation, especially in supply chains 2017, para. 68
- Paragraph text
- Multi-stakeholder initiatives should ensure that the criteria and indicators used to determine compliance with each standard are adapted effectively to the specific sector and activity the initiative covers.
- Body
- Special Rapporteur on trafficking in persons, especially in women and children
- Document type
- Special Procedures' report
- Topic(s)
- Equality & Inclusion
- Governance & Rule of Law
- Person(s) affected
- N.A.
- Year
- 2017
- Date added
- Aug 19, 2019
Paragraph
Strengthening voluntary standards for businesses on preventing and combating trafficking in persons and labour exploitation, especially in supply chains 2017, para. 70
- Paragraph text
- Multi-stakeholder initiatives should consider establishing a platform with all relevant stakeholders at the local level to discuss and coordinate measures to implement the standards, challenges in the implementation and solutions.
- Body
- Special Rapporteur on trafficking in persons, especially in women and children
- Document type
- Special Procedures' report
- Topic(s)
- Equality & Inclusion
- Governance & Rule of Law
- Person(s) affected
- N.A.
- Year
- 2017
- Date added
- Aug 19, 2019
Paragraph
Strengthening voluntary standards for businesses on preventing and combating trafficking in persons and labour exploitation, especially in supply chains 2017, para. 84
- Paragraph text
- When performing an audit, assurance providers and auditing companies should ensure that sufficient time is allocated to interviews with workers and worker representatives, that gender concerns are appropriately addressed and that sufficient resources are allocated to engaging interpreters to support auditors when necessary.
- Body
- Special Rapporteur on trafficking in persons, especially in women and children
- Document type
- Special Procedures' report
- Topic(s)
- Equality & Inclusion
- Gender
- Person(s) affected
- All
- N.A.
- Year
- 2017
- Date added
- Aug 19, 2019
Paragraph
Strengthening voluntary standards for businesses on preventing and combating trafficking in persons and labour exploitation, especially in supply chains 2017, para. 92
- Paragraph text
- Companies should consider publicly disclosing the names of their suppliers, as well as policies and measures implemented to ensure the compliance of suppliers to the company policy, with reference to, inter alia, cases of non-compliance and corrective action taken.
- Body
- Special Rapporteur on trafficking in persons, especially in women and children
- Document type
- Special Procedures' report
- Topic(s)
- Equality & Inclusion
- Governance & Rule of Law
- Person(s) affected
- N.A.
- Year
- 2017
- Date added
- Aug 19, 2019
Paragraph
Strengthening voluntary standards for businesses on preventing and combating trafficking in persons and labour exploitation, especially in supply chains 2017, para. 98c
- Paragraph text
- [States should:] Make publicly available the lists of companies that are subject to legislation on transparency;
- Body
- Special Rapporteur on trafficking in persons, especially in women and children
- Document type
- Special Procedures' report
- Topic(s)
- Equality & Inclusion
- Governance & Rule of Law
- Person(s) affected
- N.A.
- Year
- 2017
- Date added
- Aug 19, 2019
Paragraph
Strengthening voluntary standards for businesses on preventing and combating trafficking in persons and labour exploitation, especially in supply chains 2017, para. 32
- Paragraph text
- Multi-stakeholder initiatives are organizations that have established voluntary sustainability standards, often for a specific commodity or industry sector. They offer a common label for companies that commit to align to the principles set by the standard and that agree to be monitored under the relevant assurance programme under which their commitment to and compliance with the standards are verified. The voluntary set of standards developed under the initiative often covers a wide spectrum of sustainability concerns, ranging from environmental risks and corruption to working conditions and labour rights. Examples of the initiatives identified under the project include the Forest Stewardship Council, Fairtrade, the Aquaculture Stewardship Council, UTZ and the Aluminium Stewardship Initiative, which are also part of an umbrella organization, the ISEAL Alliance, created to strengthen these standards systems by improving their impacts, defining and advancing credibility, increasing their adoption and proliferation and improving effectiveness.
- Body
- Special Rapporteur on trafficking in persons, especially in women and children
- Document type
- Special Procedures' report
- Topic(s)
- Environment
- Equality & Inclusion
- Person(s) affected
- N.A.
- Year
- 2017
- Date added
- Aug 19, 2019
Paragraph
Strengthening voluntary standards for businesses on preventing and combating trafficking in persons and labour exploitation, especially in supply chains 2017, para. 36
- Paragraph text
- Some examples of industry coalitions are the Electronic Industry Citizenship Coalition and the Business Social Compliance Initiative of the Foreign Trade Association. The Coalition brings together companies such as Apple, HP and Intel and has developed a code of conduct and audit scope that includes extensive references to issues such as unethical recruitment practices. The Business Social Compliance Initiative is a cross-sectoral initiative that has also developed a code of conduct and an implementation plan, including auditing, a capacity-building programme for businesses, including for suppliers, and alternative stakeholder engagement activities. As mentioned above, standards and an assurance programme alone are not sufficient to embed the standards into a company’s business model. Thus, many multi-stakeholder initiatives and industry coalitions develop, in parallel, capacity-building programmes and other awareness-raising activities for their stakeholders to help promote the standards and their implementation.
- Body
- Special Rapporteur on trafficking in persons, especially in women and children
- Document type
- Special Procedures' report
- Topic(s)
- Economic Rights
- Equality & Inclusion
- Governance & Rule of Law
- Person(s) affected
- N.A.
- Year
- 2017
- Date added
- Aug 19, 2019
Paragraph
26 shown of 26 entities