A/HRC/15/20* on Slavery, relevant norms can be found in the Covenant on Civil and Political Rights (art. 8), the International Convention on the Protection of the Rights of All Migrant Workers and Members of Their Families (art. 11), the Convention on the Rights of Persons with Disabilities (art. 27), the International Covenant on Economic, Social and Cultural Rights (art. 7 on just and favourable conditions of work) and the Convention on the Rights of the Child (arts. 19 and 32), and the Convention on the Elimination of All Forms of Discrimination against Women (art. 11 on women’s right not to be discriminated in the field of employment). 88. Building on these norms, the committees of independent experts overseeing State parties’ compliance with the obligations assumed under these treaties (treaty bodies) have made repeated references to the exploitation of domestic workers in their concluding observations on country reports.41 Conversely, individual complaints mechanisms, including the Special Rapporteur’s communications procedure,42 remain underutilized. In its general comment No. 28 on gender equality, the Human Rights Committee has made specific references to slavery disguised, inter alia, as domestic or other kinds of personal service.43 When the present document was being finalized, the Committee on the Protection of the Rights of All Migrant Workers and Members of Their Families was discussing a general comment on migrant domestic workers, with a view to adopting it at the end of 2010. 89. Independent experts mandated by the Commission on Human Rights and the Human Rights Council have also addressed the issue. The Working Group on Contemporary Forms of Slavery had drawn the attention of the Commission on Human Rights to the problem of domestic servitude.44 Special procedures mandates, in particular the Special Rapporteur on violence against women, its causes and consequences, and the Special Rapporteur on trafficking in persons, especially women and children, have focused their fact-finding on the situation of domestic workers and thereby advanced the debate.45 90. At the regional level, the Council of Europe has shown leadership in taking up the issue. In its recommendation 1663 (2004) on domestic slavery, servitude, au pairs and “mail-order brides”, the Parliamentary Assembly of the Council of Europe expressed dismay that slavery still exists in Europe, while highlighting that “today’s slaves are predominantly female and usually work in private households”.46 Human rights bodies of the African Union and the Organization of American States have addressed concerns relating to domestic workers.47 From 17 to 18 June 2010, the Special Rapporteur 41 42 43 44 45 46 47 18 See e.g. Human Rights Committee, concluding observations on Chad, CCPR/C/TCD/CO/1, para. 31; Committee on Economic, Social and Cultural Rights, concluding observations on Canada, E/C.12/CAN/CO/4-E/C.12/CAN/CO/5, para. 49; Committee on the Rights of the Child, concluding observations on Bangladesh, CRC/C/BGD/CO/4, para. 82; Committee on the Elimination of Racial Discrimination, concluding observations on the United Arab Emirates, CERD/C/ARE/CO/17, para. 16; Committee on the Elimination of Discrimination against Women, concluding observations on Malaysia, CEDAW/C/MYS/CO/2, paras. 25–26; Committee against Torture, concluding observations on Bahrain, CAT/C/CR/34/BHR, para. 7. See http://www2.ohchr.org/english/issues/slavery/rapporteur/submitting_info.htm. Human Rights Committee, general comment No. 28 on article 3 (Equality of rights between men and women), CCPR/C/21/Rev.1/Add.10, para. 12. See e.g. E/CN.4/Sub.2/2004/36, para. 51. Special Rapporteur on violence against women, its causes and consequences, mission to the Netherlands (A/HRC/4/34/Add.4); mission to Ghana (A/HRC/7/6/Add.3); Special Rapporteur on trafficking in persons, especially women and children, mission to Bahrain, Oman and Qatar (A/HRC/4/23/Add.2); mission to Lebanon (E/CN.4/2006/62/Add.3). Parliamentary Assembly of the Council of Europe, Recommendation 1663, adopted on 22 June 2004. See e.g. concluding recommendations by the African Committee of Experts on the Rights and GE.10-15169