A/HRC/45/8 result, the victims might be left isolated and unable to leave the exploitative and abusive situations in which they find themselves.96 65. In summary, although the situation is still evolving, the multifaceted impacts of the COVID-19 pandemic on contemporary forms of slavery are clear. There is an urgent need to take action to mitigate these impacts by identifying those who are in slavery situations, reaching out to those at risk and providing the survivors with access to justice and remedies. C. International standards and emerging good practices 1. Access to justice and remedies 66. Access to justice and remedies is a basic right of victims and survivors of contemporary forms of slavery. The responsibilities of States in this regard are outlined in the 2017 thematic report of the Special Rapporteur, along with detailed recommendations (A/HRC/36/43). In light of the increasing risks caused by COVID-19 outlined in the present report, it is essential that States strengthen their efforts to fulfil their international obligations and commitments to ensure that survivors of contemporary forms of slavery can seek justice and effectively obtain remedies. 67. States must continue to investigate, prosecute and punish perpetrators of contemporary forms of slavery with due diligence,97 including during states of emergency imposed as a result of the COVID-19 pandemic,98 owing to the non-derogable nature of the prohibition of these practices. 99 In practical terms, States must secure and maintain sufficient financial and human resources to implement their anti-slavery efforts during the pandemic so that the relevant law enforcement and other public authorities are able to bring perpetrators to justice. 68. In this regard, the Special Rapporteur is of a view that financial investigations and criminal asset recovery should be an integral part of the overall law enforcement responses to contemporary forms of slavery. It has been estimated that the total illegal profits from forced labour amount to $150 billion every year.100 As noted by other special procedure mandate holders, that money should be channelled effectively by States to progressively realize economic, social and cultural rights (A/HRC/26/28 and Corr.1, para. 27, and A/HRC/28/60 and Corr.1, para. 22). Moreover, the confiscated proceeds can be used to enhance access to justice and remedies for victims of contemporary forms of slavery, to take immediate measures to mitigate the impacts of COVID-19, and to implement wider prevention measures such as awareness-raising among the general public and businesses and tackling impunity. 69. The obligation to ensure protection from contemporary forms of slavery can be established from the duty to secure, ensure or restore rights and to provide remedies. 101 Importantly, the Human Rights Committee noted in its general comment No. 29 (2001) on derogations from provisions of the International Covenant on Civil and Political Rights 96 97 98 99 100 101 14 Submission from ECPAT UK, p. 6. European Court of Human Rights, Siliadin v. France, application No. 73316/01, judgment of 26 July 2005, paras. 89 and 112; Rantsev v. Cyprus and Russia, application No. 25965/04, judgment of 7 January 2010, paras. 285 and 288; J. and others v. Austria, application No. 58216/12, judgment of 17 January 2017, para. 107; Inter-American Court of Human Rights, Hacienda Brasil Verde Workers v. Brazil, judgment of 20 October 2016, Ser. C, No. 318, para. 319; A/70/260, para. 29; and A/HRC/36/43, para 15. CCPR/C/128/2. International Covenant on Civil and Political Rights, art. 4. See also Convention for the Protection of Human Rights and Fundamental Freedoms (European Convention on Human Rights), art. 15; and American Convention on Human Rights, art. 27. ILO, Profits and poverty: the economics of forced labour (Geneva, ILO, 2014), p. 13. International Covenant on Civil and Political Rights, art. 2 (3) (a); Convention on the Rights of the Child, arts. 2–3; European Convention on Human Rights, art. 1 and 13; American Convention on Human Rights, arts. 1–2; and African Charter on Human and Peoples’ Rights, art. 1.