A/HRC/9/20 page 4 Introduction 1. At its sixth session, the Human Rights Council adopted resolution 6/14 by which it established, for a three-year period, a Special Rapporteur on contemporary forms of slavery, its causes and consequences, to replace the Working Group on Contemporary Forms of Slavery. In accordance with the resolution, the Special Rapporteur will “focus principally on aspects of contemporary forms of slavery, which are not covered by existing mandates of the Human Rights Council; promote the effective application of relevant international norms and standards on slavery; request, receive and exchange information on contemporary forms of slavery from Governments, treaty bodies, special procedures, specialized agencies, intergovernmental organizations, and non-governmental organizations and other relevant sources, including on slavery practices and, as appropriate, and in line with the current practice, respond effectively to reliable information on alleged human rights violations with a view to protecting the human rights of victims of slavery and preventing violations; and recommendations and measures applicable at the national, regional and international levels to eliminate slavery practices wherever they occur, including remedies which address the causes and consequences of contemporary forms of slavery, such as poverty, discrimination and conflict as well as the existence of demand factors and relevant measures to strengthen international cooperation”. The Council also requested that the Special Rapporteur “give careful consideration to specific issues within the scope of the mandate and to include examples of effective practices as well as relevant recommendations”, and “take into account the gender and age dimensions of contemporary forms of slavery”. 2. In resolution 6/14 the Council also requested that the Special Rapporteur “cooperate fully and effectively with other existing human rights mechanisms and treaty bodies, including but not limited to the Special Rapporteur on trafficking in persons, especially women and children, the Special Rapporteur on the sale of children, child prostitution and child pornography, the Special Rapporteur on contemporary forms of racism, racial discrimination, xenophobia and related intolerance, the Special Rapporteur on violence against women, its causes and consequences, the Special Representative of the Secretary-General on children in armed conflict and the Special Rapporteur on human rights of migrants, as well as the Board of Trustees for the United Nations Voluntary Fund on Contemporary Forms of Slavery and take full account of their continuation and avoid duplication of their work”. 3. In the same resolution the Council requested the Special Rapporteur to submit an annual report to the Council on the activities of the mandate and proposed measures and recommendations to combat and eradicate modern forms of slavery and slavery-like practices and to protect the human rights of victims of modern slavery. 4. Pursuant to that resolution, on 26 March 2008 Gulnara Shahinian was appointed Special Rapporteur on contemporary forms of slavery, including its causes and consequences. Ms. Shahinian took up her mandate on 1 May 2008.