A/HRC/21/41 I. Introduction 1. The present report is submitted pursuant to Human Rights Council resolution 15/7 by the Special Rapporteur on contemporary forms of slavery, including its causes and consequences, Gulnara Shahinian. In part II, the Special Rapporteur summarizes her activities since her previous report to the Council, and in parts III to IX she discusses and makes recommendations on the issue of servile marriage. II. Activities of the mandate A. Visits to countries and follow-up activities 2. The Special Rapporteur conducted an official country visit to Lebanon from 10 to 17 October 2011 to engage in dialogue with the Government about policies, programmes, plans and activities aimed at combating domestic servitude (see A/HRC/21/41/Add.1). She wishes to thank the Government for acceding to her request to visit Lebanon. 3. The Special Rapporteur participated in two follow-up workshops focused on the recommendations that she made upon concluding her country visits. On 30 and 31 January 2012, she participated in a follow-up workshop in Nouakchott, at which the participants produced a road map to guide the implementation of her recommendations. She also participated in a follow-up workshop in Quito on 29 and 30 March 2012, at which the participants focused on the status of implementation of her recommendations on contemporary forms of slavery in Ecuador. They developed time-bound action plans to follow up on forced and bonded labour, child slavery in mining and domestic servitude. 4. Both workshops were organized jointly by the relevant Governments and the Office of the United Nations High Commissioner for Human Rights. The participants included relevant Government officials and representatives of civil society organizations and United Nations agencies. The Special Rapporteur wishes to thank the Governments of Mauritania and Ecuador for their continued cooperation and commitment to implementing the recommendations made in her reports (A/HRC/15/20/Add.2 and A/HRC/15/20/Add.3, respectively). 5. The Special Rapporteur welcomes the invitations from the Governments of Kazakhstan and Madagascar to carry out country visits. She would appreciate receiving invitations from the other countries to which she has sent requests to visit: Bangladesh, Ghana, Nepal, the Niger, the Sudan and Uzbekistan. 6. The Special Rapporteur participated in an international consultation on good practices and strategies to eliminate caste-based discrimination held in Kathmandu from 29 November to 1 December 2011. The consultation was organized by the International Dalit Solidarity Network in cooperation with the Feminist Dalit Organization, the Nepal National Dalit Social Welfare Organization, the Dalit NGO Foundation and the Samata Foundation. Its aim was to enhance engagement among countries, constituencies and institutions with a view to sharing good practices and strategies to eliminate caste-based discrimination. The Special Rapporteur was a keynote speaker and also facilitated a working group session on forced and bonded labour and discrimination issues in employment. B. Communications and other activities 7. The Special Rapporteur, jointly with other special procedures mandate holders, sent communications on alleged cases of concern to her mandate to India, Lebanon, Pakistan, 3