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General Assembly Distr UNITED A NATIONS General Assembly Distr. GENERAL A/HRC/Sub.1/58/AC.2/4* 31 July 2006 Original: ENGLISH HUMAN RIGHTS COUNCIL Sub-Commission on the Promotion and Protection of Human Rights Fifty-eighth session Working Group on Contemporary Forms of Slavery Thirty-first session 8-11 August 2006 REVIEW OF DEVELOPMENTS IN THE FIELD OF CONTEMPORARY FORMS OF SLAVERY AND MEASURES TO PREVENT AND REPRESS ALL CONTEMPORARY FORMS OF SLAVERY Report of the Secretary-General Summary The present report is based on a summary of responses to a note verbale sent to Governments and concerned intergovernmental and non-governmental organizations inviting them to provide information on various slavery-related issues in accordance with the resolution 2005/29 of the Sub-Commission on the Promotion and Protection of Human Rights. The responses received contained information regarding legal, administrative and other measures taken to deal with slavery-like practices such as trafficking in human beings, sexual exploitation of children and forced labour. At the time of drafting this report, responses were received from 13 States, 4 international organizations and 1 non-governmental organization. * Pursuant to General Assembly resolution 60/251 of 15 March 2006 entitled “Human Rights Council”, all mandates, mechanisms, functions and responsibilities of the Commission on Human Rights, including the Sub-Commission, were assumed, as of 19 June 2006, by the Human Rights Council. Consequently, the symbol series E/CN.4/Sub.2/_, under which the Sub-Commission reported to the former Commission on Human Rights, has been replaced by the series A/HRC/Sub.1/_ as of 19 June 2006. GE.06-13177 (E) 040806 A/HRC/Sub.1/58/AC.2/4* page 2 CONTENTS Paragraphs Page I. INTRODUCTION ....................................................................... 1 - 3 3 II. INFORMATION RECEIVED FROM GOVERNMENTS ......... 4 - 42 3 Albania ......................................................................................... 4 - 5 3 Colombia ...................................................................................... 6 - 7 3 Cuba ............................................................................................. 8 4 Estonia ......................................................................................... 9 - 11 4 Guatemala .................................................................................... 12 - 13 4 Lebanon ....................................................................................... 14 - 16 5 Mauritius ...................................................................................... 17 - 19 5 Mexico ......................................................................................... 20 - 25 5 Philippines ................................................................................... 26 - 28 6 Portugal ........................................................................................ 29 - 34 7 Russian Federation ....................................................................... 35 - 38 8 Spain ............................................................................................ 39 8 Slovenia ....................................................................................... 40 - 42 8 III. INFORMATION RECEIVED FROM UNITED NATIONS AGENCIES .................................................................................. 43 - 51 9 Office of the United Nations High Commissioner for Refugees ...................................................................................... 43 - 45 9 United Nations Educational, Scientific and Cultural Organization ................................................................................ 46 - 48 9 United Nations Office on Drugs and Crime ................................ 49 - 51 10 IV. INFORMATION RECEIVED FROM INTERGOVERNMENTAL ORGANIZATIONS ....................... 52 10 Organisation for Economic Co-operation and Development ...... 52 10 V. INFORMATION RECEIVED FROM NON-GOVERNMENTAL ORGANIZATIONS ........................ 53 - 54 10 Urban Justice ............................................................................... 53 - 54 10 A/HRC/Sub.1/58/AC.2/4* page 3 I. INTRODUCTION 1. By its resolution 2005/29 entitled “Report of the Working Group on Contemporary Forms of Slavery”, the Sub-Commission on the Promotion and Protection of Human Rights requested the Office of the United Nations High Commissioner for Human Rights to bring the resolution to the attention of States, international organizations and national human rights institutions, and that the information received be forwarded to the Working Group. 2. Pursuant to this resolution, on 27 March 2006 the Office of the High Commissioner for Human Rights addressed requests to Governments and relevant international and non-governmental organizations for information. 3. The present report contains a summary of the replies received as of 10 July 2006. II. INFORMATION RECEIVED FROM GOVERNMENTS Albania 4. The Government of Albania reported that a number of measures were taken in 2005/2006 in the field of human trafficking. In particular, a national strategy combating trafficking in children was adopted and a committee on the fight against trafficking in human beings was established. 5. The Government also recalled that, in the past, actions had already been taken on this issue. For example, Albania ratified the Convention on Transnational Organized Crime and a national strategy on trafficking in human beings was adopted. Colombia 6. The Government of Colombia recalled that the Constitution of the country prohibits slavery and that in 2001 the 150-year anniversary of the law abolishing slavery in Colombia was celebrated. Aware of the development of new forms of slavery, Colombian authorities have been taking a number of initiatives to fight these phenomena. In 1996 the Inter-Institutional Committee for the Fight against Trafficking in Women and Children was established. The mandate of this Committee is to review existing policies and make proposals to develop a coherent and systematic governmental policy for the prevention and repression of the exploitation, abuse and sexual trafficking of women and children. 7. Colombia has adopted a number of laws on the issue of trafficking. The most recent, Law 985 of 2005, indicates that an individual found guilty of human trafficking can be sentenced to from 13 to 23 years in prison. In addition, the Law stipulates that the consent of the victim cannot exonerate the perpetrator of his criminal responsibility. The Law also foresees the adoption of a public policy on the issue of trafficking, which should include the following elements: prevention, protection and assistance to the victims, and enhancement of the investigation and the justice process. The Law also established the Inter-Institutional Committee on the Fight against Trafficking in Human Beings (formerly the Inter-Institutional Committee for the Fight against Trafficking in Women and Children). This Committee serves as a consultative organ for the Government and coordinates actions taken by the State in the fight against trafficking. A/HRC/Sub.1/58/AC.2/4* page 4 Cuba 8. In its reply, the Government of Cuba recalled that it has ratified the Slavery Convention, the Convention for the Suppression of the Traffic in Persons and of the Exploitation of the Prostitution of Others, and the Supplementary Convention on the Abolition of Slavery, the Slave Trade, and Institutions and Practices Similar to Slavery. In addition, contemporary forms of slavery such as forced labour, trafficking in human beings, forced marriage, child labour or sexual slavery were said to be problems that do not exist in Cuba. The Government said that children under 17 years of age are not allowed to work, with the exception of 15- and 16-year-old adolescents who can enter the labour market due to their incapacity to study and the need to be trained. The Government also reported that Cuba carried out a number of activities to commemorate the proclamation by the General Assembly of 2004 as the International Year to Commemorate the Struggle against Slavery and its Abolition. Estonia 9. On the issue of trafficking in human beings, the Government of Estonia recalled that in August 2005 the Ministers of Internal Affairs and Justice declared the fight against organized crime, especially trafficking in human beings, to be one of the priorities of the police and the Prosecutor’s office. 10. In January 2006, the National Action Plan against Trafficking in Human Beings was approved by the Government. It focuses on prevention, prosecution, reporting and protection of victims. The authorities stressed the importance of regional cooperation in the fight against trafficking and indicated that Estonia is represented in the Nordic-Baltic Task Force against Trafficking in Human Beings. 11. The Government also indicated that the fight against crimes involving children is one of the priorities for the police for 2006 and referred to a number of laws protecting children’s rights. In particular, article 173 of the Penal Code stipulates that “the sale or purchase of children is punishable by one to five years’ imprisonment …”. Guatemala 12. The Government of Guatemala said that it is conscious that practices such as trafficking in persons - in particular of children - do exist in the country. It referred to the country’s specific geographical situation, which makes it attractive to smuggling networks as a country of transit for migrants going to the north of the
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