The United Nations Special Rapporteur on trafficking in persons, especially women and children, Ms. Siobhán Mullally, will undertake an official visit to Bangladesh from 31 October to 9 November 2022. The visit will examine measures to prevent trafficking in persons for all purposes of exploitation and to assist and protect the human rights of victims / survivors of trafficking.

The Special Rapporteur will present preliminary observations at the end of her visit, on 9 November 2022, and a full report on the country visit to the United Nations Human Rights Council in June 2023.

In her report, the Special Rapporteur will offer concrete recommendations to support a human rights-based response to trafficking in persons.

In order to prepare for the visit, the Special Rapporteur seeks input from civil society, human rights organizations and other interested stakeholders.

The Special Rapporteur would be grateful for information relevant to her mandate, including on any of the topics listed below.

• Individuals, civil society organizations, and Government departments and institutions that it would be useful for the Special Rapporteur to meet with.
• Regions and locations that it would be useful for the Special Rapporteur to visit, with an explanation of the rationale.
• Information on the prevention of trafficking in persons and protection of victims or persons at particular risk of trafficking among internally displaced persons (IDPs), refugees and migrants, women, children and young people, indigenous peoples and persons with disabilities;
• Prevention of child trafficking for all purposes of exploitation, and challenges in child protection; early, child and forced marriage and prevention measures;
• Rights of Indigenous Peoples: particular risks of trafficking faced by indigenous peoples and effectiveness of prevention and protection measures;
• Business and Human Rights: effectiveness of measures/human rights due diligence by business enterprises to prevent trafficking in persons for purposes of labour exploitation, including in supply chains;
• Migrant workers and their families: prevention of trafficking in persons and protection;
• Gender equality: effectiveness of measures to combat trafficking in persons for purposes of sexual exploitation, of women and girls, and men and boys;
• Measures taken to ensure the rights of persons with disabilities in anti-trafficking actions and policies;
• Measures in place to ensure effective prevention of trafficking and assistance to lesbian, gay, bisexual, trans and other gender diverse persons, and intersex persons (LGBTI);
• Climate Change: impact of climate change, including climate-related displacement and disasters on risks of trafficking in persons for all purposes of exploitation; integration of trafficking risks into disaster risk reduction and climate change policies;
• Risks of trafficking faced by migrants at sea in the territorial waters of Bangladesh, and prevention and protection measures in place to assist victims of trafficking;
• Role of civil society, trade unions and human rights defenders in prevention of trafficking and protection of trafficked persons;
• The prevalence of forms and manifestations of trafficking in persons, including all forms of trafficking, regardless of their national or transnational nature and for all types of exploitation, including, but not limited, to sexual exploitation, labour exploitation, domestic servitude, forced begging, forced labour, slavery or similar practice;
• The legislative, policy and institutional framework, including the legal framework criminalizing trafficking in persons, and protecting the human rights of victims / survivors of trafficking in persons;
• Early support, including early identification and assistance to trafficked persons, with special emphasis on the unconditional nature of such support to the victim’s participation in the criminal proceedings;
• Access to effective remedies, redress and in particular compensation to victims and other measures aiming at the social inclusion of survivors;
• Investigation, prosecution and punishment of perpetrators and victims’ rights in criminal proceedings, including the non-punishment principle of victims of trafficking in persons for offences committed in the course, or as a consequence, of being trafficked;
• International cooperation and mutual legal assistance in investigation and prosecution of trafficking in persons;
• Women, Peace and Security: measures on prevention of trafficking in persons and protection and participation of victims / survivors of trafficking integrated into WPS actions and policies.

For more on information on the Special Rapporteur on trafficking in persons, especially women and children and the activities of the mandate please click here.