A/57/292 in all societies and to promote greater harmony and tolerance. Specifically, the Special Rapporteur’s functions are as follows: 7. The past few years have seen an unprecedented increase in the smuggling of and trafficking in persons, for which, unfortunately, migrants provide a most important source. The Protocols to the United Nations Convention against Transnational Organized Crime, on Trafficking in Persons and Smuggling of Migrants, which contain clauses to protect the victims of such activities, were adopted in 2000. (a) To request and receive information from all relevant sources, including migrants themselves, on violations of the human rights of migrants and their families; 8. Another area of progress noted by the Special Rapporteur since she assumed her position is the growing support for the International Convention on the Protection of the Rights of All Migrant Workers and Members of Their Families, which, at the time of submission of this report, required only one more ratification for its entry into force. 9. This growing interest on the part of States has been accompanied by greater activity on the part of non-governmental organizations (NGOs) and civil society for the protection of migrants at the international level. The Special Rapporteur considers that the role of NGOs and their specific proposals concerning migration at the World Conference against Racism, Racial Discrimination, Xenophobia and Related Intolerance, as well as their presence at various regional forums, and other international forums, point up the importance of consensus among those concerned. B. History and content of the mandate 10. In its report of 9 March 1999 (E/CN.4/1999/80), the Commission on Human Rights Working Group of intergovernmental experts on the human rights of migrants, which was set up in 1997, concluded that an international monitoring mechanism should be set up especially to deal with the protection of migrants. The Commission on Human Rights adopted resolution 1999/44, setting up such a mechanism, and Ms. Gabriela Rodríguez Pizarro was subsequently appointed Special Rapporteur. According to the resolution, the main function of the Special Rapporteur would be to “examine ways and means to overcome the obstacles existing to the full and effective protection of the human rights of this vulnerable group, including obstacles and difficulties for the return of migrants who are non-documented or in an irregular situation”. 6 (b) To formulate appropriate recommendations to prevent and remedy violations of the human rights of migrants, wherever they may occur; (c) To promote the effective application of relevant international norms and standards on the issue; (d) To recommend actions and measures applicable at the national, regional and international levels to eliminate violations of the human rights of migrants; (e) To take into account a gender perspective when requesting and analysing information, as well as to give special attention to the occurrence of multiple discrimination and violence against migrant women. 11. The Commission also requested that, in carrying out her mandate, the Special Rapporteur should: (a) Give careful consideration to the various recommendations of the Working Group of intergovernmental experts aimed at the promotion and protection of the human rights of migrants and to take into consideration relevant human rights instruments of the United Nations to promote and protect the human rights of migrants; (b) Take into account bilateral and regional negotiations which aim at addressing, inter alia, the return and reinsertion of migrants who are nondocumented or in an irregular situation. C. Legal framework of the mandate 12. The legal frame of reference for the Special Rapporteur’s mandate was set out in the report she submitted to the Commission on Human Rights in 2001 (E/CN.4/2001/83 and Add.1), which listed the main international instruments applying to the human rights of migrants, with particular reference to rights specifically relating to migrants. Another important document relating to the rights of non-nationals is the 2001 report of the Special Rapporteur of the Subcommission on the Promotion and Protection of