GENEVA (3 November 2023) – The UN Special Rapporteur on contemporary forms of slavery, Tomoya Obokata, will conduct a visit to Côte d’Ivoire from 6-17 November 2023.

During the visit, the expert will examine instances of labour exploitation which may amount to forced or bonded labour in various sectors of the economy such as agriculture including the cocoa sector, mining and domestic work. Obokata will also assess to what extent child labour prevails in the country and what steps have been taken by the Government and businesses to eliminate these practices.

The Special Rapporteur will visit Abidjan, Grand-Bassam, San Pédro, Méagui, Soubre and Sokoura to meet with government officials, workers, civil society organisations, trade unions, representatives of the UN, the African Development Bank, members of the diplomatic community and other stakeholders.

Obokata will share his preliminary observations at a virtual press conference on 17 November at 10:00 am. Participation is strictly limited to journalists. Please write to

hrc-sr-slavery@un.org to register and receive the Zoom link.

The Special Rapporteur will present a comprehensive report to the Human Rights Council in September 2024.