A/HRC/44/45 fuelled trafficking in persons.1 She carried out comprehensive research on the issue of child trafficking in situations of conflict and humanitarian crisis jointly with the Special Rapporteur on the sale and sexual exploitation of children, including child prostitution, child pornography and other child sexual abuse material.2 She reflected on the gendered dimension of trafficking in conflict and post-conflict settings and advocated for the integration of a human rights-based approach to trafficking in the women and peace and security agenda of the Security Council. 3 She was invited to participate in various open debates of the Security Council in New York, to present her views on trafficking in persons and the maintenance of international peace and security. She played a role in unpacking the interlinkages between trafficking and migration, which culminated in the presentation of a report on early identification, referral and protection of victims and potential victims of trafficking in mixed migration movements. 4 Mindful that protection does not end with identification and referral to the appropriate services, but needs to be translated into meaningful social inclusion of survivors in societies, she also dedicated a thematic report to innovative and transformative models of social inclusion of survivors of trafficking. 5 She highlighted the importance of combating trafficking in persons in order to reduce labour exploitation in business operations and supply chains. In this regard, she headed a threeyear project on strengthening the efforts of multi-stakeholder initiatives against trafficking in persons, forced labour and severe forms of labour exploitation. To this end, she extensively engaged with a wide range of actors, including non-traditional actors, such as private sector companies, industrial coalitions and multi-stakeholder initiatives, as well as trade unions. In addition to the publication of two reports on this subject, namely on strengthening voluntary standards for businesses on preventing and combating trafficking in persons and labour exploitation, especially in supply chains 6 and, most recently, on access to remedies for victims of trafficking for abuses committed by businesses and their suppliers, 7 in 2019, she facilitated a platform for dialogue among multi-stakeholder initiatives and trade unions, bringing under a human rights approach umbrella a range of actors that traditionally distrusted each other. 13. The Special Rapporteur hopes that the recommendations put forward in the present report, based on such extensive research and consultations, can guide not only States’ policies, but also the private sector, civil society organizations, United Nations agencies and the international community as a whole, with the aim of ensuring the protection of trafficked persons’ rights, including early and effective support, and their empowerment and social inclusion as the ultimate goal of anti-trafficking action. II. Obligation of due diligence under international human rights law 14. States’ obligations to prevent and combat trafficking stem not only from the ratification of relevant international instruments but also from due diligence obligations under international human rights law. In this light, the Special Rapporteur will stress some innovative implications of due diligence obligations related to anti-trafficking action. 15. Under international law, States are required to exercise due diligence to prevent trafficking, to investigate and prosecute perpetrators, to assist and protect victims and to ensure remedies.8 This derives from States’ positive obligation to protect individuals from human rights abuses by private actors (e.g., individuals and corporations). Due diligence obligations have been articulated in a number of areas applicable to trafficking in persons, 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 4 See A/71/303 and A/HRC/32/41 and Corr.1. See A/72/164. See A/73/171. See A/HRC/38/45. See A/HRC/41/46. See A/HRC/35/37. See A/74/189. See generally A/70/260. See also the Recommended Principles and Guidelines on Human Rights and Human Trafficking (E/2002/68/Add.1).