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Commission on Human Rights
58th session
11 April 2002




Statement by Mr. Theo van Boven,
Member of the Board of Trustees of
the United Nations Voluntary Trust Fund
on Contemporary Forms of Slavery


I thank you, Mr. Chairman, for giving me this opportunity to address the Commission on behalf of the Board of Trustees of the United Nations Voluntary Trust Fund on Contemporary Forms of Slavery. The Commission has before it the main report by the Secretary-General on the status of the Fund, submitted to the last session of the General Assembly (A/56/205), as well as updated information submitted by the Secretary-General to the present session of the Commission, in document E/CN.4/2002/93 and Corr. 1.

At its 7th annual session in January 2002, the Board reviewed about 40 new applications for project grants from non-governmental organizations to provide humanitarian, legal or financial aid to victims of contemporary forms of slavery, as well as 40 new applications for travel grants to allow NGO representatives to attend the 27th session of the Working Group on Contemporary Forms of Slavery in May this year.

Taking into consideration the criteria for selection established by the General Assembly, other criteria approved by the Secretary-General, funds already available and new contributions received for this session, the Secretary-General approved, upon recommendation by the Board seven travel grants to allow NGO representatives, including victims, to attend the forthcoming session of the Working Group and 21 project grants for a total amount of about US$ 136,000.

The list of all beneficiaries and all recommendations approved by the Secretary-General will be available April in the report of the Secretary-General to the Working Group on Contemporary Forms of Slavery. Additionally, information on the expenditures for 2002 of the Fund will be available in July 2002 in the Report of the Secretary-General to the 57th session of the General Assembly.

Taking into consideration the number of requests received in 2002 and that the Board recommended for expenditure almost all the money available in the Fund at its 7th session in 2002, the Fund would need at least an amount of US$300,000 before the next session of the Board of Trustees in January 2003.

The Sub-Commission on the Promotion and Protection of Human Rights in its resolution 2001/19, expressed its appreciation to the donor Governments, organizations, trade unions and individuals, including young students, who had contributed to the Fund and encouraged them to continue doing so. The Sub-Commission also urged all Governments, NGOs, other private and public entities and individuals to contribute to the Fund and encouraged them to do so in order to enable the Fund to fulfil its mandate effectively. I would also like to take this opportunity to appeal to the Commission and all regular and potential donors to generously contribute to the Fund before 1st December 2002 to enable the Fund and Board of Trustees at its next session in 2003 to recommend new grants to assist victims of contemporary forms of slavery worldwide.

I thank you very much Mr. Chairman.