A/HRC/45/8/Add.1 Annex Report of the Special Rapporteur on contemporary forms of slavery, including its causes and consequences, on her visit to Togo I. Introduction 1. At the invitation of the Government of Togo, the Special Rapporteur on contemporary forms of slavery, including its causes and consequences, Urmila Bhoola, conducted an official visit to Togo from 27 to 31 May 2019. 2. In the course of her visit, the Special Rapporteur sought to obtain information on issues pertaining to her mandate, with a primary focus on the worst forms of child labour, including domestic servitude, but also addressing other areas of concern, such as child marriage. In addition, the Special Rapporteur intended to gather first-hand information on issues requiring further attention, such as the working conditions in the Free Trade Zone of Lomé. However, it proved difficult to obtain sufficient information in order to make an assessment about whether there were any worst forms of child labour or other forms of contemporary slavery occurring in that area. 3. After conducting the visit, the Special Rapporteur sent a follow-up questionnaire to the Government of Togo, in March 2020, to request additional information. Replies were received, but some information gaps nevertheless remain on the issues assessed by the Special Rapporteur, including due to limited availability of recent data on child labour, including in its worst forms. This led to limitations in assessing the real scope of child labour in Togo. 4. According to information received during the visit, the lack of systematic, centralized data collection is a result of limited financial resources and lack of adequate technical capacity of the relevant institutions. The fact that eradication of child labour did not appear to be high on the Government’s agenda further contributed to the problem. 5. The Special Rapporteur met with officials from a broad range of government departments, including the Ministry of Foreign Affairs, African Integration and Togolese Abroad; the Ministry of Human Rights and of Relations with the Institutions of the Republic; the Ministry of Civil Service, Labour, Administrative Reform and Social Protection; the Ministry of Security and Civil Protection; the Ministry of Social Action, Promotion of Women and Literacy, and the Child Protection Directorate affiliated to it; the Ministry of Justice; the Ministry of Territorial Administration, Decentralization and Local Government; the Ministry of the Interior; the Ministry of Primary and Secondary Education and Literacy; and the National Police. 6. The Special Rapporteur also met with representatives of the National Human Rights Commission, civil society organizations, and members of the United Nations country team. She visited Lomé, and Sokodé and Tabligbo where she also engaged with survivors of child labour. 7. The present report was shared with the Government of Togo before its publication. The Special Rapporteur extends her appreciation to the Government of Togo for the invitation to visit the country, and to officials from the various State entities for engaging in a fruitful and meaningful dialogue. She also thanks the Office of the Resident Coordinator and the United Nations Development Programme for their comprehensive assistance in the planning and conduct of her visit, and the United Nations Information Centre for the support provided with the media conference. She further expresses her sincere gratitude to all civil society organizations and individuals who took the time to meet with her, and the child victims (and their caregivers, guardians and families) who were willing to speak to her. 2