A/HRC/26/37 forced marriage, sexual exploitation and forced labour; and trafficking in persons for the removal of organs (A/HRC/10/16, para. 16). 22. The Protocol proved to be both an impetus and a framework for subsequent legal and policy developments that, taken together, have helped to clearly establish the obligations of States in this area. The Special Rapporteur has regularly promoted the effective implementation of the Protocol and encouraged its ratification. C. Working methods 23. The approach to the mandate has been guided by Human Rights Council resolutions 8/12 and 17/1, which required the Special Rapporteur to: (a) seek and receive information from States, human rights bodies and other relevant sources and respond effectively to such information; (b) recommend practical solutions with regard to the implementation of relevant rights; (c) examine the human rights impact of anti-trafficking measures with a view to proposing adequate responses; and (d) work closely with other mechanisms of the Human Rights Council, the United Nations and other partners. In the discharge of her mandate the Special Rapporteur has focused particularly on the working methods set out below. 24. Communication and engagement with stakeholders. Trafficking in persons is a critical issue for every country, affecting many different groups and cutting across multiple areas of legal and illegal activity. The range of current and potential stakeholders is accordingly very wide. The first mandate holder recognized this aspect of her work from the outset (E/CN.4/2005/71, paras. 41–47) and made consistent efforts to extend her engagement beyond Governments and international agencies to include the full range of civil society organizations working on the issue, as well as those engaged in related areas, such as the rights of migrants and violence against women. Her participatory and collaborative approach was continued and extended by the current mandate holder, who declared an intention to “reach out, listen, learn and share good practice around the world” (A/HRC/10/16, para 62). She has put this commitment into practice through regular, broadbased regional consultations aimed at securing expert input into her work while improving the understanding of the mandate amongst interlocutors. 25. The Special Rapporteur has also engaged directly and consistently with international, regional and subregional bodies working on trafficking issues, most particularly UNODC, OSCE, the United Nations Children’s Fund (UNICEF), the International Organization for Migration, ILO, the United Nations High Commissioner for Refugees and the International Committee of the Red Cross, as well as regional bodies, including the Association of Southeast Asian Nations and the African Commission on Human and Peoples’ Rights. 26. In the course of her work the Special Rapporteur has also actively solicited input from the private sector and from persons and institutions with particular expertise. In relation to specialist subjects, such as trafficking in persons for the removal of organs, the Special Rapporteur has sought external expertise from the medical and transplant communities, in an effort to ensure the accuracy of her reporting and the practical relevance of her recommendations, as well as to improve understanding among relevant stakeholders. 27. Communication with victims of trafficking. The mandate of the Special Rapporteur is focused on the rights and needs of victims of trafficking and it is appropriate that victims are consulted and involved in the work of the mandate. The Special Rapporteur has paid particular attention to developing this aspect of her working methods. She has participated in panel discussions involving survivors of trafficking in New York and Geneva and has included the voices of victims in her studies and reports. She is convinced that the 7