Human Rights Council – 39th Session : Statement by Professor Michel Veuthey Ambassador of the Order of Malta to monitor and combat human trafficking

Geneva, September 10th  2018

Madame High Commissioner, Mr. President, Excellencies, Distinguished Delegates,

The Sovereign Order of Malta would like to thank Mrs. Urmila Bhoola, Special Rapporteur, for her very comprehensive Report on contemporary forms of slavery (A/HRC/39/52). We welcome her conclusions and would like to make three proposals in connection with her already very substantial report:

• Firstly, to mention the Guide on Article 4 of the European Convention on Human Rights on « Prohibition of slavery and forced labour », recently updated on 31 August 2018. This Guide describes the links between domestic servitude and slavery. It could be a useful inspiration for Governments and lawyers in Europe and beyond;
• Secondly, to highlight the importance of training: training labour inspectors, investigators, prosecutors and judges, border and police officers, and even flight attendants, about means of identifying victims and providing access to services for survivors of domestic servitude;
• Thirdly, not to forget the role of religious organisations both in denouncing modern forms of slavery (such as in the JOINT DECLARATION OF RELIGIOUS LEADERS AGAINST MODERN SLAVERY of 2 December 2014) and in providing local community-based services to survivors.

Thank you!