A/HRC/6/22 page 32 6/14. Special Rapporteur on contemporary forms of slavery The Human Rights Council, Reaffirming the Universal Declaration of Human Rights, which states that no one shall be held in slavery or servitude and that slavery and the slave trade shall be prohibited in all their forms, Recognizing the Slavery Convention of 1926, the Supplementary Convention on the Abolition of Slavery, the Slave Trade and Institutions and Practices Similar to Slavery of 1956 and International Labour Organization Convention No. 29 on Forced Labour of 1930, as well as other relevant international instruments which prohibit all forms of slavery and call on Governments to eradicate such practices, Recalling that the Durban Declaration and Programme of Action strongly condemned the fact that slavery and slavery-like practices still exist today in parts of the world and urged States to take immediate measures as a matter of priority to end such practices, which constitute flagrant violations of human rights, Acknowledging that contemporary forms of slavery is a global issue which affects all continents and most countries of the world, Deeply concerned that the minimum estimate of the number of people in slavery is over 12 million and that the problem appears to be increasing, Recognizing that broad international cooperation among States, as well as between States and relevant intergovernmental and non-governmental organizations is essential for effectively countering contemporary forms of slavery, Taking note with great appreciation of the work, reports and recommendations of the Working Group on Contemporary Forms of Slavery of the former Sub-Commission on the Promotion and Protection of Human Rights, since its establishment in 1975, Considering the proposals to replace the Working Group on Contemporary Forms of Slavery with a Special Rapporteur as a mechanism for better addressing the issue of contemporary forms of slavery within the United Nations system which were made in May 1998 in a review of the implementation of the conventions on slavery for the twenty-fourth session of the Working Group on Contemporary Forms of Slavery; in the Office of the United Nations High Commissioner for Human Rights’ report “Abolishing slavery and its contemporary forms, 2002” (HR/PUB/02/4); and in the recommendations of the Working Group on Contemporary Forms of Slavery itself at its thirty-first session in 2006, Recalling Human Rights Council decision 5/1 “Institution-building of the United Nations Human Rights Council” of 18 June 2007 and its annex, which stated that the Council would decide at its sixth session on the most appropriate mechanisms to continue the work of the Working Groups on Indigenous Populations, on Contemporary Forms of Slavery, Minorities, as well as Human Rights Council resolution 5/2 “Code of Conduct for Special Procedures Mandateholders of the Human Rights Council” of 18 June 2007 and stressing that the mandate-holder shall discharge his/her duties in accordance with these resolutions and their annexes,