FUNDS ADMINISTERED BY UN HUMAN RIGHTS Vuckovic Sahovic (Serbia); Ms. Renu Rajbhandari (Nepal); Mr. Leonardo Sakamoto (Brazil); Ms. Georgina Vaz Cabral (France); and Mr. Danwood Chirwa (Malawi). In 2017, the Fund supported 33 projects for direct assistance to victims of contemporary forms of slavery and their families in countries for a total of US$553,000. Through the Fund’s grants, over 30,000 victims were provided with redress and rehabilitation services, such as legal assistance, psychosocial support and food and medical care, after having been freed from slavery, including the worst forms of child labour, domestic servitude, forced and early marriage, bonded and forced labour, sexual exploitation and trafficking in persons for labour and sexual exploitation. The Secretariat and the Trustees of the Fund also invested in the thorough evaluation of project proposals, including three on-site project visits and close coordination with other funding organizations. Projects were selected by taking into account the geography and expertise of the applicants, as well as the comparative advantage of the victim-focused mandate of the Fund. On 2 December 2017, to mark the International Day for the Abolition of Slavery, the Fund held an Expert Panel on the “Rehabilitation for Victims of Modern Slavery,” which featured former victims of modern forms of slavery and experts in the field of rehabilitation of the victims. Over the next two years, the Fund will continue to prioritize projects providing specialized direct assistance to victims, in particular women and children, in situations of conflict and humanitarian crises. By doing so, the Fund will contribute to meeting Sustainable Development Goal 8.7, which requires the undertaking of “immediate and effective measures to eradicate forced labour, end modern slavery and human trafficking.” UN Voluntary Trust Fund on Contemporary Forms of Slavery Voluntary contributions in 2017 Donor Australia Germany Holy See India Ireland Luxembourg Qatar Republic of Korea Saudi Arabia South Africa Spain Turkey US$ 151,286 229,888 2,500 25,000 5,308 34,219 9,946 25,000 75,000 6,328 39,194 10,000 TOTAL 613,669 Special Fund established by the Optional Protocol to the Convention against Torture and other Cruel, Inhuman or Degrading Treatment or Punishment The Optional Protocol to the Convention against Torture and other Cruel, Inhuman or Degrading Treatment or Punishment (OP-CAT) was adopted by the General Assembly on December 2002 and entered into force in June 2006. The OP-CAT created a two-pillar system, at the international and national levels, designed to prevent torture and other forms of ill-treatment in places where persons may be deprived of their liberty. At the international level, it established the Subcommittee on Prevention of Torture and other Cruel, Inhuman or Degrading Treatment or Punishment (SPT), which has been in operation since February 2007. SPT is mandated to visit all places of detention in States Parties and provide assistance and advice to both States Parties and National Preventive Mechanisms (NPMs). In addition, SPT cooperates with relevant UN organs and mechanisms and international, regional and national institutions or organizations to prevent torture. The Special Fund was established by article 26 of OPCAT to help finance the implementation of recommendations issued by SPT after a visit to a State Party, as well as education programmes for NPMs. The Fund is administered by UN Human Rights and, since its first call for applications for projects to be implemented in 2012, it has supported a variety of technical cooperation projects in 13 countries around the world. These projects have resulted in legislative changes, such as aligning respective laws with international human rights standards on torture prevention, as well as laws seeking to establish NPMs; institutional changes, such as establishing or strengthening the effective functioning of NPMs and other relevant institutions, and the establishment of registers of detainees; operational changes due to enhanced knowledge and skills of the judiciary, law enforcement and medical personnel; and changes in the lives of individuals, including a reported decrease of violence against children in detention facilities. The projects have also contributed to an increased awareness of persons deprived of their liberty about their rights through the development and dissemination of manuals. UN HUMAN RIGHTS REPORT 2017 119