Special Rapporteur on trafficking in persons , especially in women and children

Country Visits

The Special Rapporteur intends to undertake country visits in order to study the situation in situ and formulate recommendations to prevent and or combat trafficking and protect the human rights of its victims in specific countries and/or regions. This will also allow the Special Rapporteur to learn about existing programmes and policies in different parts of the world and their effectiveness and/or shortcomings.

The issue of trafficking has been in the forefront for at least the past decade in most regions and for longer in others. Considerable research, analyses, legal and policy initiatives, practical interventions and expertise have been generated on the issue. This vast body of knowledge and experience is extremely useful for it allows the mandate to not only tap into this knowledge but to build upon it. Therefore, in deciding her programme of visits, the Special Rapporteur will give the utmost importance to considerations such as the need to avoid duplications and identify the mandate’s added value. In particular, given the broadness of the mandate, the Special Rapporteur will seek to focus attention on specific themes. The Special Rapporteur shall seek to devote each mission to a specific topic and, in particular, to different sites of trafficking. This would help ensure that the mandate develops positions around all relevant aspects of trafficking. The Special Rapporteur shall also take into account the issue of geographical balance in requesting country visits.

The Special Raporteur will devote equal importance to countries where she has been informed about matters of concerns concerning trafficking and persons affected by it, and countries that have been successful in implementing policies and programmes to reduce the incidence of trafficking and to promote the rights of its victims.

Visits

Visits undertaken

Qatar (8-12 November 2006)
Oman (2-7 November 2006)
Bahrain (29 October-1 November 2006)
Lebanon (7-16 September 2005)
Bosnia and Herzegovina (20-28 February 2005)

Visits agreed upon in principle

Thailand (July 2007/April or June 2008)

Visit requests

Kuwait
Japan
Nigeria
Saudi Arabia
Senegal
United Arab Emirates