A/HRC/45/8 8. In his work, the Special Rapporteur will adopt a victim/survivor-centred and ageand gender-sensitive approaches. In this regard, he will be guided by General Assembly resolution 70/1 on transforming our world: the 2030 Agenda for Sustainable Development, in which the Assembly identified groups of people who are vulnerable and must be empowered. In facilitating a victim-centred approach, the Special Rapporteur will also communicate and coordinate closely with other mandate holders and with the human rights treaty bodies with a view to promoting a coordinated and unified approach to eradicating contemporary forms of slavery. 9. Through his country visits and thematic reports, the Special Rapporteur intends to place the focus of the mandate on groups who are at particular risk of being exposed to contemporary forms of slavery and require increased attention and protection. They include, but are not limited to, people on the move, including labour migrants, refugees and internally displaced persons; stateless persons; minorities and indigenous peoples; persons with disabilities; older persons; and persons who are homeless, including children living on the street. The first report of the Special Rapporteur to the General Assembly will provide an overview of the focus which will be placed on these specific groups. 10. Furthermore, as mandated by the Human Rights Council, the Special Rapporteur will undertake thematic research on the effective implementation of Goal 8 of the 2030 Agenda, with a particular focus on target 8.7, which includes taking immediate and effective measures to eradicate forced labour and to end modern slavery and human trafficking. 11. The Special Rapporteur will proactively seek constructive and fruitful cooperation with diverse governmental, intergovernmental, civil society, academic and private stakeholders in all regions of the world. Effective collaboration among these stakeholders is more relevant than ever in the context of the unfolding socioeconomic crisis caused by COVID-19. IV. Preliminary analysis of the impact of coronavirus disease on contemporary forms of slavery A. Objective and methodology 12. The unprecedented crisis caused by COVID-19 has affected all segments of the population on a global scale, but the social and economic consequences of the outbreak have been particularly detrimental to those who were already in vulnerable situations before the crisis. This includes people trapped in slavery-like situations, as well as those subjected to different human rights violations, discrimination, marginalization, social and economic inequalities and limited or no social and labour protection. 13. Based on emerging evidence, the Special Rapporteur assessed the main issues of concern and trends relating to his mandate, complemented by a set of recommendations developed with a view to assisting States and other stakeholders in developing their responses.2 It is important to emphasize that, as the situation rapidly changes and the full magnitude of the pandemic’s impacts remains unclear, the present report does not provide a comprehensive overview of the problem. The Special Rapporteur is committed to monitoring the situation and developing relevant recommendations throughout his tenure. 14. To inform his research, the Special Rapporteur issued a call for input to a wide range of stakeholders, including Member States, national human rights institutions, civil society organizations, United Nations agencies and regional organizations. He has also drawn on information gathered from a literature review and multiple consultations held with various 2 4 See statement by the President on the human rights implications of the COVID-19 pandemic (PRST 43/1).