A/72/139
B.
Country and follow-up visits
7.
Since her presentation to the Human Rights Council at its thirty -third session,
the Special Rapporteur conducted a country visit to Paraguay between 17 and
24 July 2017. The purpose of the visit was to address the causes and consequences
of contemporary forms of slavery in the country, identify good practices undertaken
by the Government, investigate the challenges that Paraguay was facing relating to
the issue of contemporary slavery and develop recommendations on how slavery
eradication efforts could be accelerated. A report summarizing the visit will be made
available to the General Assembly at its seventy-third session.
8.
In addition, the Special Rapporteur visited Mauritania in April 2017 and will
visit the Niger in August 2017, to conduct workshops to assess the implementation
of the previous recommendations made by the mandate holder. Reports
summarizing these workshops are and will be available on the we bsite of the
Special Rapporteur.
II. Harnessing the 2030 Agenda for Sustainable Development
to achieve the full eradication of all contemporary forms
of slavery
9.
On 25 September 2015, at the United Nations summit for the adoption of the
post-2015 development agenda, the General Assembly endorsed an ambitious and
wide-reaching development agenda, encapsulated in 17 Sustainable Development
Goals and 169 targets. The comprehensive Goals, which encompass issues relating
to poverty, education, gender equality, decent work and economic growth and
reduced inequality, among others, seek to end poverty, protect the planet and ensure
prosperity for all. The development of the 2030 Agenda for Sustainable
Development succeeded the Millennium Development Goals, eight Goals set by the
international community at the turn of the millennium and considered to be the most
crucial development priorities.
10. The Sustainable Development Goals have the potential to accelerate the efforts
being made to fully eradicate all contemporary forms of slavery. The 2030 Agenda
includes a specific target on the eradication of slavery. Target 8.7, under Goal 8, to
“promote sustained, inclusive and sustainable economic growth, full and productive
employment and decent work for all”. Furthermore, by including goals and targets
relevant to the causes of slavery and access to justice, such as those relating to
poverty, education, gender equality, decent work and economic growth and peace,
justice and strong institutions, the 2030 Agenda offers the potential to guide action
and resources towards the prevention of contemporary forms of slavery and the
punishment of perpetrators of related human rights violations.
11. The Special Rapporteur considers the implementation of the 2030 Agenda, and
target 8.7 in particular, to be fundamental to her mandate and plans to make her
engagement on related issues a priority over the coming three years. The present
report, which is based on desk-based research and country-based and thematic
engagement by the Special Rapporteur, is intended as an overview of the topic of
sustainable development and the eradication of contemporary forms of slavery and
is a first step in her ongoing engagement on the issue.
12. In the present report, the Special Rapporteur will explore how the potential
within this new development framework can be harnessed to accelerate efforts to
eradicate all contemporary forms of slavery, broadly constituting all contemporary
forms of slavery and slavery-like practices, in particular those defined in the Slavery
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