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388 Travaux préparatoires: United Nations Convention against Transnational Organized Crime2. When a State Party returns a victim of trafficking in persons to a StateParty of which that person is a national or in which he or she had, at the time ofentry into the territory of the receiving State Party, the right of permanent residence,such return shall be with due regard for the safety of that person and forthe status of any legal proceedings related to the fact that the person is a victimof trafficking and shall preferably be voluntary.3. At the request of a receiving State Party, a requested State Party shall,without undue or unreasonable delay, verify whether a person who is a victim oftrafficking in persons is its national or had the right of permanent residence in itsterritory at the time of entry into the territory of the receiving State Party.4. In order to facilitate the return of a victim of trafficking in personswho is without proper documentation, the State Party of which that person is anational or in which he or she had the right of permanent residence at the timeof entry into the territory of the receiving State Party shall agree to issue, at therequest of the receiving State Party, such travel documents or other authorizationas may be necessary to enable the person to travel to and re-enter its territory.5. This article shall be without prejudice to any right afforded to victimsof trafficking in persons by any domestic law of the receiving State Party.6. This article shall be without prejudice to any applicable bilateral ormultilateral agreement or arrangement that governs, in whole or in part, the returnof victims of trafficking in persons.C. Interpretative notesThe interpretative notes on article 8 of the protocol approved by the Ad HocCommittee and contained in its report on the work of its first to eleventh sessions(see A/55/383/Add.1, paras. 72-77) are as follows:Paragraph 1(a) The words “permanent residence” in this paragraph mean long-termresidence, but not necessarily indefinite residence. The paragraph should be understoodas being without prejudice to any domestic legislation regarding either thegranting of the right of residence or the duration of residence.Paragraph 2(b) The words “and shall preferably be voluntary” are understood not toplace any obligation on the State party returning the victims.Paragraph 3(c) The understanding of the Ad Hoc Committee was that a return underthis article shall not be undertaken before the nationality or right of permanentresidence of the person whose return is sought has been duly verified.Paragraph 4(d) The words “travel documents” include any type of document requiredfor entering or leaving a State under its domestic law.