A/HRC/26/37 VII. Contribution of the mandate to key conceptual and legal gains A. A broader focus 62. The past decade has been one of great development and change. With the benefit of an agreed definition of trafficking in persons, new international, regional and national laws, clearer policies and heightened political commitment, the mandate has been able to make a critical contribution at a unique moment in time. It has actively embraced and advocated for the definition of trafficking that is now enshrined in international law through the Protocol to Prevent, Suppress and Punish Trafficking in Persons, especially Women and Children, and other instruments and is reflected in the law of many States. This approach has been instrumental in helping to expand the focus of international and national anti-trafficking efforts beyond the previous focus on trafficking for the exploitation of prostitution and contributing to greater conceptual clarity around the parameters of the definition of trafficking. In their responses to the questionnaire, a number of States and organizations highlighted the substantial contribution of the mandate to expanding the discourse around trafficking. This expansion was noted in relation to: (a) identification and exploration of different forms of exploitation related to trafficking and (b) consideration of different avenues and actors that could or should play a role in preventing or responding to trafficking. B. Greater clarity regarding the rights of victims 63. It is one thing to assert the human rights of victims of trafficking and another to specify, with a sufficient level of detail, what those rights actually are and what obligations they impose on States. That process is essential, because it is only through such certainty that it becomes possible to assess the extent to which a particular situation, initiative or response is in conformity with international human rights law. The task is made somewhat more difficult by the fact that the central international instrument relevant to trafficking, the Protocol to Prevent, Suppress and Punish Trafficking in Persons, especially Women and Children, is not clear on the issue of the rights of victims. There are general references to human rights in the Protocol and it includes a number of obligations that may be understood as intended to protect victims. However, on its own, it makes little headway in establishing the precise nature of the entitlements of victims and how these should be met. It is also relevant to note that, when the mandate was first instituted, the international human rights system itself had not contributed substantially to clarifying the substantive content of relevant rights and obligations. While there was regular condemnation of the human rights violations associated with trafficking, the practice was rarely linked to the violation of a specific right in a specific treaty. 64. Throughout all aspects of its work, from country missions to thematic studies, the mandate has helped to confirm and promote awareness of those important rights. Respondents to the questionnaire sent to Member States and other actors by the Special Rapporteur confirmed that the work of the mandate in this area was one of its most significant achievements. C. Greater clarity regarding the obligations and responsibilities of States 65. Respondents to the questionnaire noted that the mandate had also directly contributed to confirming and disseminating the obligations of States with respect to their 17