100 Years of Antislavery: A Global Consultation for the UN Special Rapporteur on contemporary forms of slavery and trafficking in persons
In May 2026, the Rights Lab hosted a global consultation to inform the inaugural reports of the United Nations Special Rapporteur on contemporary forms of slavery and trafficking in persons, Katarina Schwarz. The reports, presented to the Human Rights Council in September 2026 and UN General Assembly in October 2026, review a century of anti-slavery and anti-trafficking efforts since the adoption of the Slavery Convention in 1926, take stock of challenges and opportunities in the current landscape, and set the vision for the new merged UN mandate.
The consultation included a global survey and written consultation available in multiple languages and a series of three online workshops.
Global survey and written consultation instrument 
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Global survey: advancing action on contemporary forms of slavery and trafficking in persons
The online form through which global survey and written consultation responses were submitted, which provides the framework for the consultation.
Database of consultation responses (forthcoming)
Written responses to the global survey and written consultation: Advancing Action on Contemporary Forms of Slavery and Trafficking in Persons
This database compiles the responses to the global survey and written consultation conducted on behalf of the UN Special Rapporteur. This includes 236 responses to the online form collected from around the world.
Research report (forthcoming)
100 years of antislavery - A global consultation on progress, challenges, and priorities for the future
This report provides an in-depth summary of responses to the consultations, including qualitative and quantitative insights from both the global survey and written consultation form and multistakeholder consultation workshops.
Report to the Human Rights Council (forthcoming)
Contemporary forms of slavery and trafficking in persons - Report of the Special Rapporteur on contemporary forms of slavery and trafficking in persons, Katarina Schwarz
The present report is submitted in accordance with Human Rights Council resolution 60/25 of 8 October 2025, in which the Council decided to merge the mandate of Special Rapporteur on contemporary forms of slavery, including its causes and consequences, and the mandate of Special Rapporteur on trafficking in persons, especially women and children. The report contains a review of current threats and opportunities in the anti-slavery and anti-trafficking landscape, and an outline of the priorities on which the new Special Rapporteur intends to focus during her tenure.
A century of international efforts to eradicate slavery and trafficking in persons and tracing the evolution of responses from the 1926 Slavery Convention to the present day - Report of the Special Rapporteur on contemporary forms of slavery and trafficking in persons
In the present report, the Special Rapporteur on contemporary forms of slavery and trafficking in persons examines a century of international efforts to eradicate slavery and trafficking in persons, tracing the evolution of responses from the 1926 Slavery Convention to the present day. The report highlights key historical milestones that have progressively strengthened global recognition of and action against slavery, institutions and practices similar to slavery, forced labour, servitude, and trafficking in persons, while underscoring that these forms of exploitation continue to affect millions of people worldwide. It presents lessons learned over 100 years of anti - slavery and anti-trafficking, and provides recommendations to guide efforts to end these practices more effectively in the years ahead.