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Strengthening voluntary standards for businesses on preventing and combating trafficking in persons and labour exploitation, especially in supply chains 2017, para. 62a
- Paragraph text
- [Given the potential that multi-stakeholder initiatives and industry coalitions may have to cascade corporate policies on eliminating trafficking in persons across sectors, and the role the Special Rapporteur can play in providing a powerful and neutral platform, the mandate holder will continue to explore further engagement with such initiatives, specifically to:] Reinforce voluntary standards on trafficking in persons and identify good practices in that area, by providing feedback and expert advice in standard revision processes and by co-developing capacity-building activities for the initiatives and their stakeholders;
- Body
- Special Rapporteur on trafficking in persons, especially in women and children
- Document type
- Special Procedures' report
- Topic(s)
- Governance & Rule of Law
- Violence
- Person(s) affected
- N.A.
- Year
- 2017
Paragraph
Strengthening voluntary standards for businesses on preventing and combating trafficking in persons and labour exploitation, especially in supply chains 2017, para. 62b
- Paragraph text
- [Given the potential that multi-stakeholder initiatives and industry coalitions may have to cascade corporate policies on eliminating trafficking in persons across sectors, and the role the Special Rapporteur can play in providing a powerful and neutral platform, the mandate holder will continue to explore further engagement with such initiatives, specifically to:] Enhance workers’ voices within the standard-setting process, and in monitoring mechanisms, through the identification of good practices in workers’ participation in monitoring schemes and the development of capacity-building programmes;
- Body
- Special Rapporteur on trafficking in persons, especially in women and children
- Document type
- Special Procedures' report
- Topic(s)
- Economic Rights
- Governance & Rule of Law
- Violence
- Person(s) affected
- N.A.
- Year
- 2017
Paragraph
Adequacy of the international legal framework on violence against women 2017, para. 24
- Paragraph text
- Even though civil society organizations didn’t express a unitary perspective on the current debate on the adequacy of the international legal framework on violence against women, the Special Rapporteur could identify some recurrent concerns, which have been grouped under the following categories: (a) support for a new stand-alone treaty with a new separate monitoring body; (b) opposition to such a treaty and proposals to strengthen existing instruments; (c) support for the strengthening of the current legal framework and mechanisms with the possible adoption of a new optional protocol under the Convention as a long-term solution; and (d) other innovative proposals.
- Body
- Special Rapporteur on violence against women, its causes and consequences
- Document type
- Special Procedures' report
- Topic(s)
- Gender
- Governance & Rule of Law
- Violence
- Person(s) affected
- N.A.
- Women
- Year
- 2017
Paragraph
Embrace diversity and energize humanity 2017, para. 28
- Paragraph text
- At this juncture, the report will now turn to various key underpinnings which interrelate closely with violence and discrimination. Two are singled out for special attention and they are presented below. Other underpinnings will be dealt with, incorporating recent inputs from stakeholders, in future reports of the Independent Expert in 2018.
- Body
- Independent Expert on protection against violence and discrimination based on sexual orientation and gender identity
- Document type
- Special Procedures' report
- Topic(s)
- Gender
- Violence
- Person(s) affected
- N.A.
- Year
- 2017
Paragraph
Strengthening voluntary standards for businesses on preventing and combating trafficking in persons and labour exploitation, especially in supply chains 2017, para. 61j
- Paragraph text
- [Participants identified several other actions and interventions, listed below, which have also helped the Special Rapporteur define areas for further engagement and work under the mandate in strengthening the strategies implemented by multi-stakeholder initiatives and industry coalitions to detect and tackle trafficking in persons:] Dialogue with governments should be facilitated to incorporate good practices from voluntary standards into national legislation.
- Body
- Special Rapporteur on trafficking in persons, especially in women and children
- Document type
- Special Procedures' report
- Topic(s)
- Governance & Rule of Law
- Violence
- Person(s) affected
- N.A.
- Year
- 2017
Paragraph
Strengthening voluntary standards for businesses on preventing and combating trafficking in persons and labour exploitation, especially in supply chains 2017, para. 37
- Paragraph text
- Corporate codes of conduct and the voluntary standards set by multi-stakeholder initiatives and industry coalitions typically include a reference to trafficking in persons or forced labour. The trafficking in persons, or forced labour, standard is normally based on international human rights instruments and labour standards. However, the reference is often limited to a mere prohibition of the use of forced labour or trafficking in persons and is not further developed into specific indicators to help identify risk practices and define what forced labour or trafficking in persons may look like in practice.
- Body
- Special Rapporteur on trafficking in persons, especially in women and children
- Document type
- Special Procedures' report
- Topic(s)
- Movement
- Violence
- Person(s) affected
- N.A.
- Year
- 2017
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
Paragraph
Strengthening voluntary standards for businesses on preventing and combating trafficking in persons and labour exploitation, especially in supply chains 2017, para. 22
- Paragraph text
- In 2012, an executive order aimed at strengthening protections against trafficking in persons in federal contracts was signed in the United States. The new amendments to the Federal Acquisition Regulation include further due diligence measures in respect of contractors and address key risk indicators, such as the use of unethical recruitment practices, in particular by prohibiting contractors from charging recruitment fees to workers and from denying employees access to their personal documents.
- Body
- Special Rapporteur on trafficking in persons, especially in women and children
- Document type
- Special Procedures' report
- Topic(s)
- Economic Rights
- Governance & Rule of Law
- Movement
- Violence
- Person(s) affected
- N.A.
- Year
- 2017
Paragraph
Strengthening voluntary standards for businesses on preventing and combating trafficking in persons and labour exploitation, especially in supply chains 2017, para. 28
- Paragraph text
- In 2016, the mandate holder conducted a mapping of multi-stakeholder and industry-based initiatives active in different industries, including fishing, aluminium, electronics, coffee and tea. The mapping was a first step towards engagement with these initiatives through bilateral dialogue and two consultations. The objective was to identify and understand challenges, lessons learned and good practices in detecting and addressing trafficking in persons and labour exploitation.
- Body
- Special Rapporteur on trafficking in persons, especially in women and children
- Document type
- Special Procedures' report
- Topic(s)
- Violence
- Person(s) affected
- N.A.
- Year
- 2017
Paragraph
Strengthening voluntary standards for businesses on preventing and combating trafficking in persons and labour exploitation, especially in supply chains 2017, para. 61i
- Paragraph text
- [Participants identified several other actions and interventions, listed below, which have also helped the Special Rapporteur define areas for further engagement and work under the mandate in strengthening the strategies implemented by multi-stakeholder initiatives and industry coalitions to detect and tackle trafficking in persons:] Research on the impact of non-financial reporting legislation should be collected;
- Body
- Special Rapporteur on trafficking in persons, especially in women and children
- Document type
- Special Procedures' report
- Topic(s)
- Governance & Rule of Law
- Violence
- Person(s) affected
- N.A.
- Year
- 2017
Paragraph
Strengthening voluntary standards for businesses on preventing and combating trafficking in persons and labour exploitation, especially in supply chains 2017, para. 18
- Paragraph text
- Notable examples of this are the California Transparency in Supply Chains Act of 2010 in the United States, which came into effect in January 2012, and the Modern Slavery Act of 2015 in the United Kingdom of Great Britain and Northern Ireland. Under the California Transparency in Supply Chains Act, retail sellers and manufacturers with over $100 million in annual worldwide gross receipts who do business in the state, regardless of whether or not they are headquartered in California, are required to disclose their efforts to eradicate slavery and human trafficking from their direct supply chains for tangible goods offered for sale. In accordance with the Act, companies concerned must report on their efforts in five different areas: verification, auditing, certification, internal accountability and training.
- Body
- Special Rapporteur on trafficking in persons, especially in women and children
- Document type
- Special Procedures' report
- Topic(s)
- Economic Rights
- Governance & Rule of Law
- Violence
- Person(s) affected
- N.A.
- Year
- 2017
Paragraph
Strengthening voluntary standards for businesses on preventing and combating trafficking in persons and labour exploitation, especially in supply chains 2017, para. 20
- Paragraph text
- Both Acts, while considered legislative breakthroughs in developing business accountability for non-financial obligations, are nonetheless not exempt from criticism. The Modern Slavery Act has been criticized for allowing United Kingdom-based companies to hide their supply chains as long as the goods they produce do not enter the United Kingdom, and the California Transparency in Supply Chains Act is considered insufficient, as it requires companies only to report their efforts with no regard for the quality of the effectiveness of the measures taken to eliminate trafficking in persons from their supply chains. In 2015, the Special Rapporteur on contemporary forms of slavery, including its causes and consequences presented a report to the Human Rights Council (A/HRC/30/35) in which those two domestic efforts were further analysed.
- Body
- Special Rapporteur on trafficking in persons, especially in women and children
- Document type
- Special Procedures' report
- Topic(s)
- Economic Rights
- Governance & Rule of Law
- Violence
- Person(s) affected
- N.A.
- Year
- 2017
Paragraph
Strengthening voluntary standards for businesses on preventing and combating trafficking in persons and labour exploitation, especially in supply chains 2017, para. 62c
- Paragraph text
- [Given the potential that multi-stakeholder initiatives and industry coalitions may have to cascade corporate policies on eliminating trafficking in persons across sectors, and the role the Special Rapporteur can play in providing a powerful and neutral platform, the mandate holder will continue to explore further engagement with such initiatives, specifically to:] Identify good practices, and draft guidance and recommendations, for the establishment of corporate grievance mechanisms and remediation that address the needs of workers effectively;
- Body
- Special Rapporteur on trafficking in persons, especially in women and children
- Document type
- Special Procedures' report
- Topic(s)
- Economic Rights
- Governance & Rule of Law
- Violence
- Person(s) affected
- N.A.
- Year
- 2017
Paragraph
Witchcraft and the human rights of persons with albinism 2017, para. 83
- Paragraph text
- In addition to the problem of the legal gap, it is particularly difficult to establish that any body parts found are linked to an attack, given that such crimes are often not reported and the limited technical and financial means of law enforcement, particularly in the area of forensics, as well as the time and distance between the place where the alleged attack occurred and the place where the body parts were found. As a result, barring clear evidence that the body part was obtained from an attack or a graveyard robbery, affected States have resorted to laws that address mere illicit possession of body parts that, however, tend to carry penalties perceived to be too weak and fail to encompass the overall context of the crimes.
- Body
- Independent Expert on the enjoyment of human rights by persons with albinism
- Document type
- Special Procedures' report
- Topic(s)
- Violence
- Person(s) affected
- N.A.
- Year
- 2017
Paragraph
Strengthening voluntary standards for businesses on preventing and combating trafficking in persons and labour exploitation, especially in supply chains 2017, para. 27
- Paragraph text
- In 2016, together with Verité, an international non-governmental organization, the Special Rapporteur, thanks to earmarked contributions received for this purpose, launched a new project building on the previous work carried out under the mandate on addressing the risks of trafficking in persons in global supply chains. The goal of the project is to reduce the vulnerability that workers face in supply chains and tackle the risks of trafficking in persons by strengthening multi-stakeholder and industry-based strategies, and to promote the catalysing effect of multi-stakeholder initiatives and industry coalitions to enhance efforts made by businesses to improve their policies and measures to address trafficking in persons and other types of labour violations.
- Body
- Special Rapporteur on trafficking in persons, especially in women and children
- Document type
- Special Procedures' report
- Topic(s)
- Governance & Rule of Law
- Violence
- Person(s) affected
- N.A.
- Year
- 2017
Paragraph
Adequacy of the international legal framework on violence against women 2017, para. 11
- Paragraph text
- The mandate holder started her tenure on 1 August 2015 and acquired the work carried out by her predecessor on the adequacy of the legal framework on violence against women (A/HRC/26/38, A/69/368 and A/HRC/29/27), in particular, her proposal to “examine the normative gaps within the existing international binding legal frameworks, and address more specifically the legal gaps in protection, prevention and accountability in respect of violence against women”. The current Special Rapporteur presented the report of her predecessor to the General Assembly and decided to continue discussing this question by inviting all stakeholders to send their views and perspectives on the adequacy of the current legal framework on violence against women.
- Body
- Special Rapporteur on violence against women, its causes and consequences
- Document type
- Special Procedures' report
- Topic(s)
- Gender
- Governance & Rule of Law
- Violence
- Person(s) affected
- N.A.
- Women
- Year
- 2017
Paragraph
Strengthening voluntary standards for businesses on preventing and combating trafficking in persons and labour exploitation, especially in supply chains 2017, para. 62d
- Paragraph text
- [Given the potential that multi-stakeholder initiatives and industry coalitions may have to cascade corporate policies on eliminating trafficking in persons across sectors, and the role the Special Rapporteur can play in providing a powerful and neutral platform, the mandate holder will continue to explore further engagement with such initiatives, specifically to:] Analyse the impact that non-financial disclosure regulations have on company policies on trafficking in persons.
- Body
- Special Rapporteur on trafficking in persons, especially in women and children
- Document type
- Special Procedures' report
- Topic(s)
- Economic Rights
- Governance & Rule of Law
- Violence
- Person(s) affected
- N.A.
- Year
- 2017
Paragraph
Strengthening voluntary standards for businesses on preventing and combating trafficking in persons and labour exploitation, especially in supply chains 2017, para. 61g
- Paragraph text
- [Participants identified several other actions and interventions, listed below, which have also helped the Special Rapporteur define areas for further engagement and work under the mandate in strengthening the strategies implemented by multi-stakeholder initiatives and industry coalitions to detect and tackle trafficking in persons:] New and better data on the risks of forced labour and trafficking in supply chains, disaggregated by region, sector and industry, is needed. Companies and auditors should be encouraged to share anonymized data from audit results;
- Body
- Special Rapporteur on trafficking in persons, especially in women and children
- Document type
- Special Procedures' report
- Topic(s)
- Movement
- Violence
- Person(s) affected
- N.A.
- Year
- 2017
Paragraph
Strengthening voluntary standards for businesses on preventing and combating trafficking in persons and labour exploitation, especially in supply chains 2017, para. 61h
- Paragraph text
- [Participants identified several other actions and interventions, listed below, which have also helped the Special Rapporteur define areas for further engagement and work under the mandate in strengthening the strategies implemented by multi-stakeholder initiatives and industry coalitions to detect and tackle trafficking in persons:] Current trends in corporate behaviour should be mapped through the analysis of audit data to gain understanding of the situation and help target stakeholder commitment;
- Body
- Special Rapporteur on trafficking in persons, especially in women and children
- Document type
- Special Procedures' report
- Topic(s)
- Governance & Rule of Law
- Violence
- Person(s) affected
- N.A.
- Year
- 2017
Paragraph
Witchcraft and the human rights of persons with albinism 2017, para. 33
- Paragraph text
- The Independent Expert has received reports that demand for body parts for the purpose of muti or juju has led to the existence of a black market, at the national, regional and international levels, for body parts of persons with albinism. While there is often evidence of trafficking and attempted trafficking of body parts, evidence of the market for the parts is more indicative than substantive at present. It is therefore important to conduct further investigative studies and research to map patterns of trafficking of body parts, including on the alleged markets or points of sale, and on the international networks that may be involved.
- Body
- Independent Expert on the enjoyment of human rights by persons with albinism
- Document type
- Special Procedures' report
- Topic(s)
- Harmful Practices
- Health
- Violence
- Person(s) affected
- N.A.
- Year
- 2017
Paragraph
Strengthening voluntary standards for businesses on preventing and combating trafficking in persons and labour exploitation, especially in supply chains 2017, para. 61b
- Paragraph text
- [Participants identified several other actions and interventions, listed below, which have also helped the Special Rapporteur define areas for further engagement and work under the mandate in strengthening the strategies implemented by multi-stakeholder initiatives and industry coalitions to detect and tackle trafficking in persons:] Standard-setting, multi-stakeholder and certification initiatives should be encouraged to engage a broad cross section of stakeholders, including auditors, in the design and establishment of new standards systems;
- Body
- Special Rapporteur on trafficking in persons, especially in women and children
- Document type
- Special Procedures' report
- Topic(s)
- Governance & Rule of Law
- Violence
- Person(s) affected
- N.A.
- Year
- 2017
Paragraph
Strengthening voluntary standards for businesses on preventing and combating trafficking in persons and labour exploitation, especially in supply chains 2017, para. 61c
- Paragraph text
- [Participants identified several other actions and interventions, listed below, which have also helped the Special Rapporteur define areas for further engagement and work under the mandate in strengthening the strategies implemented by multi-stakeholder initiatives and industry coalitions to detect and tackle trafficking in persons:] Existing initiatives should be coordinated and collaboration with governments and civil society should be facilitated, especially regarding grievance mechanisms and provisions for remedies;
- Body
- Special Rapporteur on trafficking in persons, especially in women and children
- Document type
- Special Procedures' report
- Topic(s)
- Governance & Rule of Law
- Violence
- Person(s) affected
- N.A.
- Year
- 2017
Paragraph
Strengthening voluntary standards for businesses on preventing and combating trafficking in persons and labour exploitation, especially in supply chains 2017, para. 61d
- Paragraph text
- [Participants identified several other actions and interventions, listed below, which have also helped the Special Rapporteur define areas for further engagement and work under the mandate in strengthening the strategies implemented by multi-stakeholder initiatives and industry coalitions to detect and tackle trafficking in persons:] Efforts to improve the quality of audit assessments and build the capacity of auditors to detect trafficking in persons and forced labour should be supported;
- Body
- Special Rapporteur on trafficking in persons, especially in women and children
- Document type
- Special Procedures' report
- Topic(s)
- Governance & Rule of Law
- Violence
- Person(s) affected
- N.A.
- Year
- 2017
Paragraph
Strengthening voluntary standards for businesses on preventing and combating trafficking in persons and labour exploitation, especially in supply chains 2017, para. 61e
- Paragraph text
- [Participants identified several other actions and interventions, listed below, which have also helped the Special Rapporteur define areas for further engagement and work under the mandate in strengthening the strategies implemented by multi-stakeholder initiatives and industry coalitions to detect and tackle trafficking in persons:] Efforts to share audit information should be encouraged to allow companies to optimize resources and focus on addressing critical issues and performing audits beyond first-tier suppliers;
- Body
- Special Rapporteur on trafficking in persons, especially in women and children
- Document type
- Special Procedures' report
- Topic(s)
- Governance & Rule of Law
- Violence
- Person(s) affected
- N.A.
- Year
- 2017
Paragraph
Strengthening voluntary standards for businesses on preventing and combating trafficking in persons and labour exploitation, especially in supply chains 2017, para. 61f
- Paragraph text
- [Participants identified several other actions and interventions, listed below, which have also helped the Special Rapporteur define areas for further engagement and work under the mandate in strengthening the strategies implemented by multi-stakeholder initiatives and industry coalitions to detect and tackle trafficking in persons:] Companies that use audits to measure supply-chain compliance are encouraged to review assessment protocols to support improvements in audit quality and create conditions to enable auditors to better identify risks of trafficking;
- Body
- Special Rapporteur on trafficking in persons, especially in women and children
- Document type
- Special Procedures' report
- Topic(s)
- Governance & Rule of Law
- Violence
- Person(s) affected
- N.A.
- Year
- 2017
Paragraph
Adequacy of the international legal framework on violence against women 2017, para. 26
- Paragraph text
- Civil society organizations also expressed concern at the weaknesses of the current legal framework, the “added value” of a new treaty, practical issues that should be emphasized in a new treaty, sensitive issues relating to its negotiation and, finally, practical options for improving the implementation of the prohibition of gender-based violence which would not necessarily involve negotiating a new treaty.
- Body
- Special Rapporteur on violence against women, its causes and consequences
- Document type
- Special Procedures' report
- Topic(s)
- Gender
- Governance & Rule of Law
- Violence
- Person(s) affected
- N.A.
- Year
- 2017
Paragraph
Strengthening voluntary standards for businesses on preventing and combating trafficking in persons and labour exploitation, especially in supply chains 2017, para. 19
- Paragraph text
- Under the Modern Slavery Act, companies with a total turnover of over £36 million conducting business, or part of a business, in any part of the United Kingdom are required to publish an annual slavery and human trafficking statement to disclose the steps the organization has taken during the financial year to ensure that slavery and human trafficking is not taking place in any of its supply chains and in any part of its own business. Companies may also provide a statement that the organization has taken no such steps. The statement may include information on the company’s structure and its supply chains, its policies and due diligence processes to combat human trafficking and slavery, specific parts of its business and supply chains that may be exposed to higher risks and steps taken to mitigate such risks, the effectiveness of such efforts, and training made available for its staff. In addition, the statement must be signed by the highest level of management. The duties imposed under the Modern Slavery Act can be enforced in civil proceedings undertaken by the authorities.
- Body
- Special Rapporteur on trafficking in persons, especially in women and children
- Document type
- Special Procedures' report
- Topic(s)
- Economic Rights
- Governance & Rule of Law
- Violence
- Person(s) affected
- N.A.
- Year
- 2017
Paragraph
Strengthening voluntary standards for businesses on preventing and combating trafficking in persons and labour exploitation, especially in supply chains 2017, para. 38
- Paragraph text
- As mentioned above, unethical recruitment practices and how they represent a risk of forced labour and trafficking in persons are not widely acknowledged within the private sector or among the stakeholders that participate in the standard-setting process. While some initiatives, such as the Ethical Trading Initiative or Social Accountability International, were created to uphold a strong labour rights component, others, such as the Marine Stewardship Council, were established primarily with an environmental focus. As a result, the level of sophistication in developing indicators that can effectively account for companies’ risk practices in this area varies from one initiative to another. The differences among initiatives regarding their original motivation may not only have an impact in the standard-setting and revision process but may also affect a multi-stakeholder initiative’s success in establishing an assurance programme that effectively monitors businesses compliance with a trafficking standard.
- Body
- Special Rapporteur on trafficking in persons, especially in women and children
- Document type
- Special Procedures' report
- Topic(s)
- Economic Rights
- Environment
- Violence
- Person(s) affected
- N.A.
- Year
- 2017
Paragraph
Strengthening voluntary standards for businesses on preventing and combating trafficking in persons and labour exploitation, especially in supply chains 2017, para. 50
- Paragraph text
- The Special Rapporteur deemed it essential to engage with multi-stakeholder initiatives, industry coalitions and representatives of the auditing industry in order to discuss how they address challenges and criticisms, and, through constructive dialogue, to identify areas on which further efforts should be focused. In particular, the consultations and subsequent follow-up activities provided opportunities to enhance learning about the risks of human trafficking in supply chains, consider the strengths and weaknesses of strategies to detect and remedy trafficking in persons, identify challenges and share good practices in auditing and assessments, explore current trends in the professionalization of the auditing industry, and explore synergies between participating organizations, the Special Rapporteur, governments and civil society.
- Body
- Special Rapporteur on trafficking in persons, especially in women and children
- Document type
- Special Procedures' report
- Topic(s)
- Governance & Rule of Law
- Violence
- Person(s) affected
- N.A.
- Year
- 2017
Paragraph
Embrace diversity and energize humanity 2017, para. 6
- Paragraph text
- The Independent Expert follows and responds closely to the mandate established by resolution 32/2. The post of the Independent Expert is pro bono. Key elements emanating from the mandate can be summarized under five main areas as follows: implementation of international instruments, with identification of good practices and gaps; awareness of the violence and discrimination issue, and linkage with root causes; engagement, consultation and cooperation with States and other stakeholders; identifying multiple, intersecting and aggravated forms of violence and discrimination; and support for international cooperation and related services to assist national efforts. The Independent Expert offered an analysis of those elements in his first report and in the present report will update them with recent developments.
- Body
- Independent Expert on protection against violence and discrimination based on sexual orientation and gender identity
- Document type
- Special Procedures' report
- Topic(s)
- Equality & Inclusion
- Violence
- Person(s) affected
- N.A.
- Year
- 2017
Paragraph