A/HRC/39/52
United Nations
General Assembly
Distr.: General
27 July 2018
Original: English
Human Rights Council
Thirty-ninth session
10–28 September 2018
Agenda item 3
Promotion and protection of all human rights, civil,
political, economic, social and cultural rights,
including the right to development
Report of the Special Rapporteur on contemporary forms of
slavery, including its causes and consequences
Note by the Secretariat
Summary
The Secretariat has the honour to transmit to the Human Rights Council the report
of the Special Rapporteur on contemporary forms of slavery, including its causes and
consequences, Urmila Bhoola, submitted pursuant to Human Rights Council resolution
33/1.
In the present report, the Special Rapporteur discusses the impact of slavery and
servitude on marginalized migrant women workers in the global domestic economy.
The Special Rapporteur outlines the State obligations related to the protection of
migrant workers; she indicates how women migrant domestic workers are affected by
servitude, as bolstered by State economic policy, and she refers to human rights
violations affecting migrant domestic workers before discussing options and persisting
limitations in accessing justice. In her report, the Special Rapporteur also refers to the
role of private employment agencies and to positive measures taken by Member States to
protect against domestic servitude.
To prevent human rights violations including servitude in the domestic sector,
policies are needed that tackle discrimination while also helping to balance the legitimate
concerns of both employers and workers. A sustainable domestic work economy should
ensure access to justice, effective enforcement and remedies in the case of exploitation
and abuse, while also addressing issues of prejudice against migrants through advocacy.
In her recommendations, the Special Rapporteur advises States on how to
effectively prevent and combat domestic servitude by ensuring the protection of migrant
women and their access to decent work.
GE.18-12469(E)