E/CN.4/2004/76 page 17 69. The absence of watchdog mechanisms and inadequate monitoring by the Government in the country of destination, the recruiting agencies and even consulates mean that migrant domestic workers are cut off and abuses remain unseen. As a result, many migrants end up working in abusive, even inhuman and degrading conditions, without any protection or possibility of obtaining an effective remedy. IV. RECOMMENDATIONS 70. The Special Rapporteur urges States of origin and destination of large-scale flows of migrant domestic workers to take all necessary steps to ensure the protection of such workers’ rights and eliminate the factors which make them vulnerable at all phases of migration, from recruitment to their return home. 71. The Special Rapporteur urges States to ratify the International Convention on the Protection of the Rights of All Migrant Workers and Members of Their Families. 72. The Special Rapporteur recommends that the countries of origin should launch campaigns against illegal migration by domestic employees, warning of the risks and providing information about legal migration channels. The Special Rapporteur regards the involvement of embassies and consulates from countries of destination in such campaigns as good practice. 73. The Special Rapporteur recommends ratification of the Protocol to prevent, suppress and punish trafficking in persons, especially women and children, supplementing the United Nations Convention against Transnational Organized Crime, and urges States to amend their national legislation so as to ensure that the definition of trafficking is compatible with that given in article 3 of the Protocol. 74. The Special Rapporteur recommends that efforts be made to deal with traffickers, and that the traffickers’ crimes should not remain unpunished. She recommends that the victims of illegal practices should not be punished, and that protection programmes should be established which, under certain circumstances, will allow them to remain in the country of employment and prevent other possible abuses. In that respect the Special Rapporteur underlines the conclusions and recommendations contained in her report to the General Assembly on trafficking in human beings.25 75. The Special Rapporteur urges States to take initiatives so as to avoid the indebtedness of migrant domestic workers, including agreements which provide that their recruitment costs be covered by the employer and/or recruitment agencies and State credit programmes for migrant women. 76. The Special Rapporteur views as good practice the organization of training programmes for migrant domestic workers prior to their departure. Such programmes, depending on the circumstances, should include basic lessons in the language of the country of employment and practical tips on communication technologies and how to transfer remittances.

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