A/HRC/11/36/Add.2 page 16 57. Civil society representatives also pointed out the limits to legal liberation encountered by slaves who do not have the material or financial means to take care of themselves and integrate into society. That situation is the principal cause of the many cases of voluntary servitude, where slaves or former slaves agree to continue working for their masters or former masters in exchange for payment in cash or in kind (e.g., housing, food, or medical care). Given that reality, the representatives indicated that in addition to strengthening the legislative framework and providing appropriate training to judges and magistrates, it is essential to create mechanisms for the social and economic reintegration of persons kept as slaves, now or in the past, undertake a campaign to increase public awareness about slavery, and implement measures to provide education and literacy for victims. D. Concerns relating to the return of refugees and unresolved humanitarian issues 58. Although the civil society representatives on the whole welcomed President Abdallahi’s clear intention to make the repatriation of refugees and the resolution of humanitarian issues a Government priority, many of them were extremely concerned by the lack of concrete measures aimed at ensuring that the return of refugees took place in dignified conditions and an environment conducive to a sustainable return. 59. In that regard they expressed concern at, inter alia, the lack of decent facilities, housing, health infrastructure and drinking water in the areas designated for those who choose to return. With respect to land issues, described as a major challenge to reintegration and a possible source of friction between refugees and the communities currently living in those areas, in particular the Harratin, they stressed the importance of establishing a specific programme for restitution of lost homes and farmland or compensation, without prejudice to the legitimate rights of the owners and the current occupants. A point repeatedly made was that, to guarantee a sustainable return, it was important to reintegrate returnees into economic and social life by promoting income-generating activities, implementing cultural, social and psychological support programmes and involving the media and mosques in information and awareness programmes. 60. Concerns were likewise expressed about the vulnerability of the Mauritanian refugees who had returned from Senegal voluntarily in the 1990s. During his visit to the Toulel II area on the outskirts of Rosso, the Special Rapporteur was able to observe the difficult situation of several families who had returned to Mauritania in 1993, attributable not only to the extreme poverty in which they lived but also to the feeling that they had been forgotten because promises of the return of their land and homes had not been kept. 61. The resolution of outstanding humanitarian issues was the subject of frequent discussions, often open and emotional, in particular with regard to the establishment of a body to look into the period between 1989 and 1991. Taking into account the sensitivity of that issue and the interest expressed at the highest level of the State to launch a frank and constructive consultation process, civil society representatives all agreed on the need for a concerted approach based on the principles of historical truth, justice, reparation and reconciliation, with a view to achieving genuine and lasting national unity. 62. The Special Rapporteur also followed the discussions that took place on this issue during the conference on strengthening national unity in Mauritania held on 22 and 23 January 2008 in