A/HRC/52/53 thematic report for the Human Rights Council on contemporary forms of slavery affecting persons belonging to minorities.30 In comments regarding the report, the Special Rapporteur asserted that deep-rooted and systematic discrimination, often resulting from historical legacies such as slavery, colonization, systems of inherited status, and formalized and Statesponsored discrimination rendered minority communities vulnerable to contemporary forms of slavery.31 35. In the report itself, he noted that minority women and girls were disproportionately affected by poverty, ethnic prejudice and intersecting forms of discrimination. They often were not recognized as workers in the informal sector, which made them susceptible to sexual and labour exploitation and abuse.32 The Special Rapporteur recommended that States adopt temporary special measures to ensure that members of minority communities had access to education and employment, and that States formalize the informal economy to prevent contemporary forms of slavery. He recommended that States identify instances of contemporary forms of slavery at an early stage and eliminate deep-rooted intersecting forms of discrimination against minority communities.33 He also called on States to ensure that everyone, regardless of descent, gender, inherited or migration status, was able to access decent work.34 36. In the report on his visit to Sri Lanka, the same Special Rapporteur raised concerns about the minority community of Malaiyaha Tamils, who continued to face multiple forms of discrimination based on their descent.35 He also noted that child labour was particularly severe in poor rural areas populated by ethnic minorities, and that children, in particular girls, dropped out of school to support their families.36 E. Human rights of people of African descent 37. The newly established International Independent Expert Mechanism to Advance Racial Justice and Equality in Law Enforcement held its first session from 28 February to 4 March 2022. The Mechanism held a series of virtual consultations in May 2022 to inform its first report to the Human Rights Council. Through those virtual consultations, the Mechanism heard from approximately 70 participants, many of whom were of African descent. In the report, the Mechanism focused on the importance of data disaggregated by race or ethnic origin with regard to interactions of Africans and people of African descent with law enforcement and the criminal justice system, as an essential element for driving and assessing responses to systemic racism.37 In November 2022, the Mechanism conducted its first country visit, to Sweden.38 38. In May 2022, at the thirty-first session of the Commission on Crime Prevention and Criminal Justice, OHCHR and the United Nations Office on Drugs and Crime (UNODC) jointly held a high-level side event on addressing and preventing racial discrimination in the criminal justice system, focusing on the human rights of people of African descent. The former United Nations High Commissioner for Human Rights recalled that discrimination was nowhere more visible than in law enforcement and the criminal justice system. Referring to a report she had submitted to the Human Rights Council in 2021,39 she highlighted that 30 31 32 33 34 35 36 37 38 39 8 A/HRC/51/26, para. 1. See https://www.ohchr.org/en/press-releases/2022/09/un-expert-says-contemporary-forms-slaveryaffecting-minority-communities. A/HRC/51/26, para. 52. Ibid., para. 56. See https://www.ohchr.org/en/press-releases/2022/09/un-expert-says-contemporary-forms-slaveryaffecting-minority-communities. A/HRC/51/26/Add.1, para. 52. Ibid., para. 31. A/HRC/51/55, p. 1. See https://www.ohchr.org/en/press-releases/2022/11/sweden-should-step-efforts-fight-systemicracism-un-mechanism-advance-racial. A/HRC/47/53. See also the accompanying conference room paper, available at https://www.ohchr.org/en/documents/reports/ahrc4753-promotion-and-protection-human-rights-andfundamental-freedoms-africans. GE.22-29200