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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. 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
- Date added
- Aug 19, 2019
Paragraph
Commissions of inquiry 2012, para. 19
- Paragraph text
- In the international human rights context, commissions of inquiry are independent investigative commissions created in response to human rights violations including, but not limited to, torture, genocide, extrajudicial killings, disappearances and incidents involving multiple or high-profile killings (A/HRC/8/3, para. 12). Most commissions of inquiry are established at the initiative of national Government authorities. International experts may be part of their composition. In the present report, commissions of inquiry are defined as national commissions of inquiry and truth commissions, as well as investigations undertaken by national human rights institutions. The quest for accountability and victims' rights are common denominators for commissions of inquiry and truth commissions. While a commission of inquiry is likely to be established at the height of violence, a truth commission may only be established once a conflict is over. Both national and international commissions of inquiry often result from concerted demands by civil society or the international community. International commissions of inquiry tend, however, to have comparatively briefer temporal mandates which seek to identify patterns of violations during a protracted period of armed conflict.
- Body
- Special Rapporteur on torture and other cruel, inhuman or degrading treatment or punishment
- Document type
- Special Procedures' report
- Topic(s)
- Governance & Rule of Law
- Humanitarian
- Violence
- Person(s) affected
- N.A.
- Year
- 2012
- Date added
- Aug 19, 2019
Paragraph
Access to justice for people living in poverty 2012, para. 96
- Paragraph text
- [States should:] Ensure that serious crimes, including gender-based crimes or sexual violence, are dealt with within the formal justice system
- Body
- Special Rapporteur on extreme poverty and human rights
- Document type
- Special Procedures' report
- Topic(s)
- Gender
- Violence
- Person(s) affected
- N.A.
- Year
- 2012
- Date added
- Aug 19, 2019
Paragraph
Impunity as a root cause of the prevalence of torture 2010, para. 52
- Paragraph text
- In Georgia, the Special Rapporteur received allegations that victims were encouraged by the prosecution to agree to plea-bargaining agreements without acknowledging their ill-treatment by the police.
- Body
- Special Rapporteur on torture and other cruel, inhuman or degrading treatment or punishment
- Document type
- Special Procedures' report
- Topic(s)
- Civil & Political Rights
- Violence
- Person(s) affected
- N.A.
- Year
- 2010
- 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. 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
- 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. 65
- Paragraph text
- Respondents to the questionnaire noted that the mandate had also directly contributed to confirming and disseminating the obligations of States with respect to their response to trafficking. The mandate has also been very clear that the obligations of States extend beyond those that relate immediately to victims. For example, in relation to the responses of the criminal justice system, the Special Rapporteur has confirmed the obligation on all States to investigate and prosecute trafficking, as well as the obligation to protect the rights of suspects and the right to a fair trial. In their country mission reports, the mandate holders have also highlighted the link between corruption and trafficking, noting that States are required to act in preventing such corruption and dealing with it once it is uncovered. More broadly, and in particular during the tenure of the current mandate holder, the mandate has examined the implications of the legal obligation on States to take steps to prevent trafficking, detailing actions that should be taken within the framework of a human rights approach (A/HRC/10/16, paras. 45-47).
- 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
- 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. 60
- Paragraph text
- Supply chains and public-private partnerships. The mandate has maintained a strong focus on non-State actors and the role they can or should play in preventing and responding to trafficking. Information about trafficked labour in the supply chains of major industries, including agriculture, information and communications technology, fishing, garment-making and textiles, has alerted the mandate to the importance of engaging directly with business corporations. Over the past years, the Special Rapporteur has taken up this difficult issue, undertaking research and holding wide-ranging consultations on trafficking in global supply chains. In a dedicated report she outlined a series of clear and practical recommendations for businesses and States to help them eliminate trafficking in the supply chain (A/67/261). This provided the basis for further consultations with business experts that resulted in a draft set of benchmarks and indicators for ensuring that supply chains are free of trafficking. That draft was presented to the Human Rights Council at its twenty-third session (A/HRC/23/48/Add.4, appendix I) and the second United Nations Forum on Business and Human Rights in 2013.
- Body
- Special Rapporteur on trafficking in persons, especially in women and children
- Document type
- Special Procedures' report
- Topic(s)
- Economic Rights
- Movement
- 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. 31
- Paragraph text
- Recommendations and checklists. The Special Rapporteur has actively sought to promote normative clarity around trafficking and help flesh out the substantive content of key rules and obligations where that is required. This work has been firmly based on existing international standards, as recognized in the major human rights treaties and the specialist trafficking instruments. A major output of this method of work is a set of draft basic principles on the right to an effective remedy (A/HRC/17/35, annex I), developed after extensive consultation with stakeholders in all regions, which seek to bring clarity to the concept of the right to an effective remedy and set out the factors to be taken into account when this right is applied to trafficked persons. The Special Rapporteur has also created a draft checklist of indicators and benchmarks which businesses can use to assess the risks of human trafficking in their supply chains (2012). The checklist was developed and revised through consultations and is intended to build on and complement existing initiatives, including the Guiding Principles on Business and Human Rights.
- 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
- 2014
- 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. 85b
- Paragraph text
- [Taking in account States' obligations under international human rights law, the Special Rapporteur would like to offer a set of recommendations which may serve as a basis for human rights-based measures to discourage the demand that fosters or leads to trafficking in persons:] States have a responsibility to protect against human rights abuses (including trafficking in persons and exploitation of persons) by third parties, including business enterprises and criminal associations, through appropriate policies, regulation and adjudication. States should set out clearly the expectation that all business enterprises domiciled in their territory and/or jurisdiction will respect human rights throughout their operations, both at home and abroad, and take appropriate action to stop trafficking in persons or the exploitation of persons from occurring, regardless of the size, sector, operational context, ownership and structure of the business enterprise;
- 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
- 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. 22
- Paragraph text
- In the Recommended Principles and Guidelines on Human Rights and Human Trafficking, the United Nations High Commissioner for Human Rights recommended a set of principles and guidelines to put the human rights of trafficked persons at the centre of all efforts to prevent and combat trafficking and protect, assist and provide redress to victims. The document provides specific recommendations on addressing demand as part of prevention strategies. It highlights the importance of addressing demand as a root cause of trafficking and raising the effectiveness of law enforcement to discourage demand, and recommends analysing the factors that generate demand for exploitative commercial sexual services and exploitative labour and taking strong legislative, policy and other measures to address these issues. Principle 2 provides that States have a responsibility under international law to act with due diligence to prevent trafficking, to investigate and prosecute traffickers and to assist and protect trafficked persons.
- 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
- 2013
- Date added
- Aug 19, 2019
Paragraph
The issue of human trafficking in supply chains 2012, para. 20
- Paragraph text
- In addition to anti-trafficking laws and other related laws that are aimed at punishing perpetrators of human trafficking in general, some States have adopted creative laws and mechanisms directed at businesses to better monitor their conduct. In Brazil, the Ministry of Labour and Employment maintains a public record of individuals and corporations identified by labour inspectors to be using or to have used slave labour. Once placed on what is known as the "dirty list", the individuals and corporations face financial sanctions, including fines and denial of national subsidies, tax exemptions and loans from State banks. They also automatically have their business dealings suspended by other companies that have voluntarily signed the National Pact for the Eradication of Slave Labour. The Ministry of National Integration has formally recommended that private-sector lenders deny financing to those on the list. The list currently contains the names of almost 300 employers. It is updated biannually and those listed may be removed only if they have not repeated the offence and have paid all fines and labour and social compensation. The list is a good example of how States may name and shame the companies implicated in human trafficking and slavery, and sanction their behaviour.
- 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
- 2012
- Date added
- Aug 19, 2019
Paragraph
Commissions of inquiry 2012, para. 78
- Paragraph text
- Commissions of inquiry into torture and other forms of ill-treatment are strong and flexible mechanisms that can yield substantial benefits for Governments, victim communities and the wider public. Unlike other mechanisms commonly engaged in the aftermath of allegations of torture and other forms of ill-treatment, such as criminal investigations and prosecutions, commissions of inquiry provide unique opportunities for a deeper understanding of the underlying context in which violations were committed, review of governmental policies, practices and institutional shortcomings, truth-telling and contributing to the healing of victim communities, and independent expert recommendations on reparation and guarantees of non-repetition. Commissions of inquiry can also play an integral role in providing impetus and eventually facilitating the formal investigation of current systems or legacies of torture and other forms of ill-treatment, and pave the way to effective and fair prosecutions. In these ways, commissions of inquiry may aid States in the fulfilment of their international legal obligations when allegations of torture and other forms of ill-treatment arise. However, in the absence of judicial mechanisms, a commission of inquiry alone will not satisfy a State's obligations.
- Body
- Special Rapporteur on torture and other cruel, inhuman or degrading treatment or punishment
- Document type
- Special Procedures' report
- Topic(s)
- Governance & Rule of Law
- Violence
- Person(s) affected
- N.A.
- Year
- 2012
- Date added
- Aug 19, 2019
Paragraph
The World Bank and human rights 2015, para. 31
- Paragraph text
- The systematic avoidance of human rights language, frameworks and institutions in the context of Bank projects on gender-based violence is replicated in most other areas of its activities, although there have been some exceptions over past decades in areas such as HIV/AIDS and some gender-related projects.
- Body
- Special Rapporteur on extreme poverty and human rights
- Document type
- Special Procedures' report
- Topic(s)
- Gender
- Governance & Rule of Law
- Health
- Violence
- Person(s) affected
- N.A.
- Year
- 2015
- Date added
- Aug 19, 2019
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
- 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. 87
- Paragraph text
- Assurance providers and auditing companies should consider sharing aggregated data on audit results with governments and other relevant stakeholders to support government-level strategies in combating trafficking in persons for labour exploitation that are based on empirical evidence.
- Body
- Special Rapporteur on trafficking in persons, especially in women and children
- Document type
- Special Procedures' report
- Topic(s)
- Economic Rights
- Violence
- 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. 81
- Paragraph text
- Multi-stakeholder initiatives should develop specific deep dive audit protocol modules on trafficking in persons indicators and guidance to be used when predefined red flags of trafficking and forced labour are first detected, allowing auditors to enlarge the audit scope and uncover the full extent and depth of the problem.
- 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
- 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. 72
- Paragraph text
- Multi-stakeholder initiatives should cooperate with State authorities by sharing lessons learned and experiences in standards implementation, to analyse gaps in regulations and State policy regarding the elimination of trafficking in persons and promote the adoption of a relevant legal framework and effective law enforcement measures.
- Body
- Special Rapporteur on trafficking in persons, especially in women and children
- Document type
- Special Procedures' report
- Topic(s)
- Governance & Rule of Law
- Movement
- Violence
- 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. 63
- Paragraph text
- The present report offers an overview of the main challenges that multi-stakeholder initiatives and industry coalitions face in helping their member companies and suppliers to eliminate trafficking in persons in their operations and supply chains. Improving awareness of trafficking in persons and risk practices among the stakeholder base is a prerequisite to establishing a standard that can effectively evaluate company performance in preventing and addressing trafficking in persons. The embedding of workers’ voices as an alternative source of information on company performance must be guaranteed. Audit methodologies must be reviewed to ensure that third-party audits are performed under optimal circumstances, that the resources necessary to collect the voices of workers are allocated and that auditors have the skills necessary to evaluate trafficking in persons risk practices. Multi-stakeholder initiatives and businesses must identify solutions in order to ensure a voluntary standards strategy in which workers, trade unions and civil society play a central role at the standard-setting level and in monitoring schemes and corporate grievance mechanisms.
- 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
- Date added
- Aug 19, 2019
Paragraph
Gender-related killings of women 2012, para. 116b
- Paragraph text
- [In cases involving gender-related killings, the international and regional human rights systems have included some of the following standards regarding the due diligence obligations of States:] Guarantee de jure and de facto access to adequate and effective judicial remedies;
- 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
- 2012
- Date added
- Aug 19, 2019
Paragraph
Trafficking in persons in conflict and post-conflict situations 2016, para. 72f
- Paragraph text
- [Concerned governmental institutions, law enforcement authorities, civil society organizations, academia, United Nations agencies and programmes and international organizations should undertake further research on the different forms of trafficking in persons in relation to conflict and post-conflict situations, including on:] Trafficking in persons for the purpose of removal of organs in the context of conflict;
- Body
- Special Rapporteur on trafficking in persons, especially in women and children
- Document type
- Special Procedures' report
- Topic(s)
- Humanitarian
- Movement
- Violence
- Person(s) affected
- N.A.
- Year
- 2016
- Date added
- Aug 19, 2019
Paragraph
Trafficking in persons in conflict and post-conflict situations 2016, para. 69e
- Paragraph text
- [State contracting agencies of armed forces deployed in conflict and post-conflict areas, including in the context of peacekeeping operations, should:] Exercise due diligence to prevent or mitigate trafficking committed by subcontracted private individuals or companies that are directly linked to their operations, even if the State agencies of armed forces have not themselves contributed to the violations;
- Body
- Special Rapporteur on trafficking in persons, especially in women and children
- Document type
- Special Procedures' report
- Topic(s)
- Humanitarian
- Violence
- Person(s) affected
- N.A.
- Year
- 2016
- Date added
- Aug 19, 2019
Paragraph
Trafficking in persons in conflict and post-conflict situations 2016, para. 65c
- Paragraph text
- [United Nations agencies and programmes, international organizations and humanitarian actors should:] Include prevention of trafficking in persons as part of life-saving protection activities, from the outset of a conflict/crisis;
- Body
- Special Rapporteur on trafficking in persons, especially in women and children
- Document type
- Special Procedures' report
- Topic(s)
- Humanitarian
- Violence
- Person(s) affected
- N.A.
- Year
- 2016
- Date added
- Aug 19, 2019
Paragraph
Trafficking in persons in conflict and post-conflict situations 2016, para. 77g
- Paragraph text
- [Concerned governmental institutions, law enforcement authorities, civil society organizations, academia, United Nations agencies and programmes and international organizations should undertake further research on the different forms of trafficking in persons in relation to conflict and post-conflict situations, including on:] Trafficking in persons for the purpose of removal of organs in the context of conflict;
- Body
- Special Rapporteur on trafficking in persons, especially in women and children
- Document type
- Special Procedures' report
- Topic(s)
- Humanitarian
- Movement
- Violence
- Person(s) affected
- N.A.
- Year
- 2016
- Date added
- Aug 19, 2019
Paragraph
Trafficking in persons in conflict and post-conflict situations 2016, para. 77e
- Paragraph text
- [Concerned governmental institutions, law enforcement authorities, civil society organizations, academia, United Nations agencies and programmes and international organizations should undertake further research on the different forms of trafficking in persons in relation to conflict and post-conflict situations, including on:] Illicit financial flows generated from criminal networks engaged in trafficking in persons;
- 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
- 2016
- Date added
- Aug 19, 2019
Paragraph
Trafficking in persons in conflict and post-conflict situations 2016, para. 74e
- Paragraph text
- [State contracting agencies of armed forces deployed in conflict and post-conflict areas, including in the context of peacekeeping operations, should:] Exercise due diligence to prevent or mitigate trafficking committed by subcontracted private individuals or companies that are directly linked to their operations, even if the State agencies of armed forces have not themselves contributed to the violations;
- Body
- Special Rapporteur on trafficking in persons, especially in women and children
- Document type
- Special Procedures' report
- Topic(s)
- Humanitarian
- Violence
- Person(s) affected
- N.A.
- Year
- 2016
- Date added
- Aug 19, 2019
Paragraph
Trafficking in persons in conflict and post-conflict situations 2016, para. 74b
- Paragraph text
- [State contracting agencies of armed forces deployed in conflict and post-conflict areas, including in the context of peacekeeping operations, should:] Whenever possible, hire workers directly, rather than by engaging contractors or subcontractors or using intermediate agencies, to ensure that the supply chain is free of trafficking in persons;
- Body
- Special Rapporteur on trafficking in persons, especially in women and children
- Document type
- Special Procedures' report
- Topic(s)
- Humanitarian
- Violence
- Person(s) affected
- N.A.
- Year
- 2016
- Date added
- Aug 19, 2019
Paragraph
Trafficking in persons in conflict and post-conflict situations 2016, para. 67
- Paragraph text
- Finally, while the present report of the Special Rapporteur is aimed at raising international awareness of the forms and nature of trafficking in persons in conflict and post-conflict situations on the basis of existing reliable information, she highlights the fact that, as new types of conflict arise, and modern means of combat are used, further research on this subject will be needed.
- Body
- Special Rapporteur on trafficking in persons, especially in women and children
- Document type
- Special Procedures' report
- Topic(s)
- Humanitarian
- Violence
- Person(s) affected
- N.A.
- Year
- 2016
- Date added
- Aug 19, 2019
Paragraph
Trafficking in persons in conflict and post-conflict situations 2016, para. 61
- Paragraph text
- Human trafficking is a serious crime under international law, but in the present circumstances it is also a low risk, high profit organized crime. As such, States noted that monitoring the illicit financial flows it generates for criminal networks and terrorist groups engaged in cross-border transactions could be a means to address impunity, although most transactions appear to rely on non-formal financial systems.
- 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
- 2016
- Date added
- Aug 19, 2019
Paragraph
Agenda setting of the work of the Special Rapporteur 2015, para. 77
- Paragraph text
- The Special Rapporteur will also reach out to the private sector, engaging with businesses and employers in particular, to look out for possibilities for public-private partnerships that will address the demand for cheap labour in the private sector, unethical recruitment practices and other practices relating to the elimination of trafficking in supply chains.
- 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
- 2015
- Date added
- Aug 19, 2019
Paragraph
Agenda setting of the work of the Special Rapporteur 2015, para. 76
- Paragraph text
- In carrying out her mandate, the Special Rapporteur will consult civil society and non-governmental organizations working to combat trafficking, as well as persons and institutions with particular expertise (such as academia and certain professional categories). The Special Rapporteur will continue to consult and partner with a wide range of national and local organizations, especially during her country visits.
- 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
- 2015
- Date added
- Aug 19, 2019
Paragraph