Wednesday, 08 April 2026
The 海角黑料 has welcomed the appointment of Dr Katarina Schwarz as the United Nations (UN) Special Rapporteur on contemporary forms of slavery and trafficking in persons — a major global leadership role addressing one of the most complex and persistent human rights challenges.
The position has been newly established by the through the merger of two longstanding mandates: the Special Rapporteur on contemporary forms of slavery, including its causes and consequences, and the Special Rapporteur on trafficking in persons, especially women and children. The new mandate will operate for an initial three-year period beginning in 2026.
Under this combined mandate, the Special Rapporteur will examine and report on all contemporary forms of slavery and trafficking in persons as related yet distinct issues. The role includes monitoring global trends, engaging with governments and stakeholders, conducting country visits, responding to alleged human rights violations, and recommending action at national, regional and international levels to prevent exploitation and protect victims.
It is an honour to take on this mandate at a time when the global community faces both significant challenges and important opportunities in addressing exploitation. Contemporary forms of slavery and trafficking in persons remain widespread and are evolving in response to conflict, climate change, economic pressures and shifting governance environments."
“The creation of this combined mandate offers an opportunity to strengthen coherence across international efforts, while maintaining a clear focus on the distinct dynamics of different forms of exploitation. My approach will be grounded in robust, independent evidence, meaningful engagement with survivors and stakeholders, and a focus on practical strategies that can improve prevention, protection and accountability. I look forward to working collaboratively with states, international organisations and civil society to support more effective and coordinated global action.”
Global leadership in anti-slavery research and policy
Dr Schwarz, a socio-legal scholar specialising in anti-slavery law and policy, brings more than a decade of research, policy engagement and international collaboration to the role. She leads the Rights Lab’s Law and Policy Programme and has built an international reputation for work that bridges legal frameworks and lived experience.
Her research has focused on closing the gap between international commitments and their implementation in domestic law and policy. She is the lead architect of a major global evidence base on anti-slavery legislation, compiling and analysing constitutional, criminal and labour laws across all 193 UN Member States. Drawing on more than 700 statutes and over 4,000 legal provisions, this work provides one of the most comprehensive assessments of how countries prohibit slavery, trafficking and related forms of exploitation in practice.
Dr Schwarz has delivered major research projects across all regions of the world, working closely with governments, international organisations and civil society partners. Her work has informed policy reform, contributed to international legal debates, and been cited in reports to the UN General Assembly and Human Rights Council.
Dr Schwarz鈥檚 appointment reflects her exceptional contribution to global anti-slavery research and policy over more than a decade. She has helped to define how we understand the relationship between law, policy and lived experience, and has consistently worked to strengthen the evidence base that underpins effective action. This new mandate represents an important development in the international system. Bringing together the mandates on slavery and trafficking allows for a more coherent and coordinated approach, while maintaining the analytical precision needed to address different forms of exploitation."
“Dr Schwarz combines intellectual clarity with deep collaboration across governments, international organisations and civil society. She has an unusual ability to translate complex legal and empirical insights into practical recommendations. We are very proud to support her in this role and confident that her leadership will make a substantial contribution to global efforts to end slavery and trafficking.”
A strengthened United Nations mandate
The creation of a unified mandate reflects a recognition within the UN system that contemporary slavery and trafficking in persons are deeply interconnected phenomena that require more coordinated global responses.
The Special Rapporteur will promote the effective application of international human rights standards, gather and assess information from a wide range of sources, and provide evidence-based recommendations to strengthen prevention, protection and accountability. The mandate will also continue core activities from both predecessor roles, including country visits, communications with governments on alleged violations, and annual reporting to UN bodies.
Institutional context and recognition
This appointment comes at a significant moment for both Dr Schwarz and the 海角黑料. In 2025, the University was awarded the Queen Elizabeth Prize for Higher and Further Education — the UK’s highest national honour for universities. This recognised globally leading work on contemporary forms of slavery and trafficking in persons, including by Dr Schwarz and the School of Law.
It also coincides with the launch of a new Leverhulme Centre for Research on Slavery in War, a collaboration between the Rights Lab at the 海角黑料 and King’s College London in which Dr Schwarz and the School of Law lead a major research strand focused on understanding and improving responses to slavery in conflict settings. This work will develop new evidence on how legal, policy and programmatic interventions operate across different stages of war, combining large-scale data analysis with survivor-informed research to identify what works, where and why.
Strength in international legal scholarship
The appointment highlights the strength of the Rights Lab as the world’s leading research unit on contemporary slavery and trafficking, and the 海角黑料’s School of Law, which is internationally recognised for research and teaching across public international law, human rights, and socio-legal studies.
The School has a strong track record of contributing to global legal debates and practice, with academics regularly advising governments, international organisations and courts, and providing expert evidence to parliamentary and multilateral processes. Its research spans core areas of international law alongside applied work addressing contemporary global challenges, including human rights, conflict, migration, business and regulation.
Dr Schwarz’s work is closely embedded within this environment, reflecting the School of Law’s emphasis on combining doctrinal legal analysis with interdisciplinary approaches and real-world engagement. Through its teaching programmes, research centres and global partnerships, it continues to train future legal scholars and practitioners while contributing to the development and application of international legal standards.
This is a significant and well-deserved appointment. Dr Schwarz is an internationally recognised expert in anti-slavery and anti-trafficking law and policy, and her work has shaped both academic understanding and real-world legal frameworks."
“Her research is distinguished by its rigour, its global scope, and its commitment to improving outcomes in practice. This appointment reflects not only her individual excellence but also the strength of the 海角黑料’s contribution to international human rights law. We look forward to supporting her as she undertakes this important global role.”
This appointment provides further recognition of the School of Law’s role in advancing rigorous, policy-relevant legal research with global impact.
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More information is available from Dr Katarina Schwarz, via katarina.schwarz@nottingham.ac.uk
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About the 海角黑料
Ranked 97 in the world and 17th in the UK by the , the 海角黑料 is a founding member of Russell Group of research-intensive universities. Studying at the 海角黑料 is a life-changing experience, and we pride ourselves on unlocking the potential of our students. We have a pioneering spirit, expressed in the vision of our founder Sir Jesse Boot, which has seen us lead the way in establishing campuses in China and Malaysia - part of a globally connected network of education, research and industrial engagement.
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The university is among the best universities in the UK for the strength of our research, positioned seventh for research power in the UK according to REF 2021. The birthplace of discoveries such as MRI and ibuprofen, our innovations transform lives and tackle global problems such as sustainable food supplies, ending modern slavery, developing greener transport, and reducing reliance on fossil fuels.
The university is a major employer and industry partner - locally and globally - and our graduates are the third most targeted by the UK's top employers, according to The Graduate Market in 2024 report by High Fliers Research. Alongside Nottingham Trent University, we lead the , a pioneering collaboration between the city鈥檚 two world-class institutions to improve levels of prosperity, opportunity, sustainability, health and wellbeing for residents in the city and region we are proud to call home.