These international statements of law and principle provide a foundation for the right to be free from involuntary servitude and slavery of which sex trafficking is one form.
United Nations Treaties and Conventions
- 1904 International Agreement for the Suppression of the White Slave Traffic, League of Nations, Treaty Series, vol. 1, p. 83
- 1910 International Convention for the Suppression of the White Slave Traffic, League of Nations, Treaty Series, vol. VIII, p. 278
- 1921 International Convention for the Suppression of the Traffic in Women and Children, League of Nations, Treaty Series, vol. IX, p. 415
- 1926 Slavery Convention, United Nations, Treaty Series, vol. 212, No. 2861
- 1930 Convention concerning Forced or Compulsory Labour, International Labour Organization Convention No. 29
- 1933 International Convention for the Suppression of the Traffic in Women of Full Age, League of Nations, Treaty Series, vol. CL, p. 431
- 1947 Protocol to amend the 1921 Convention for the Suppression of the Traffic in Women and Children and the 1933 Convention for the Suppression of the Traffic in Women of Full Age United Nations, Treaty Series, vol. 53, No. 770 (See also the 1921 International Convention for the Suppression of the Traffic in Women and Children, as amended by the 1947 Protocol (United Nations, Treaty Series, vol. 53, No. 771) and the 1933 International Convention for the Suppression of the Traffic in Women of Full Age, as amended by the 1947 Protocol (United Nations, Treaty Series, vol. 53, No. 772))
- 1948 Universal Declaration of Human Rights General Assembly resolution 217 A (III).
- 1949 Protocol amending the 1904 International Agreement for the Suppression of the White Slave Traffic, and the 1910 International Convention for the Suppression of the White Slave Traffic, United Nations, Treaty Series, vol. 30, No. 446 (See also the 1904 International Agreement for the Suppression of the White Slave Traffic, as amended by the 1949 Protocol (United Nations, Treaty Series, vol. 92, No. 1257) and the 1910 International Convention for the Suppression of the White Slave Traffic as amended by the 1949 Protocol (United Nations, Treaty Series, vol. 98, No. 1358))
- 1950 1949 Convention for the Suppression of the Traffic in Persons and of the Exploitation of the Prostitution of Others, United Nations, Treaty Series, vol. 96, No. 1342.
- 1953 Protocol amending the Slavery Convention, United Nations, Treaty Series, vol. 182, No. 2422.
- 1956 Supplementary Convention on the Abolition of Slavery, the Slave Trade, and Institutions and Practices Similar to Slavery, United Nations, Treaty Series, vol. 266, p. 3.
- 1957 Convention Concerning the Abolition of Forced Labour (ILO Convention No 105) obliges State Parties to prohibit the use of any form of forced or compulsory labour
- 1966 International Covenant on Civil and Political Rights, United Nations, Treaty Series, vol. 999, No. 14668 p. 171
- 1973 Convention Concerning the Minimum Age for Admission to Employment (ILO Convention No 138) obliges State Parties to fix a minimum age for employment, not less than the age for completing compulsory schooling and, in any event, not less than 15 years. Developing countries may set the minimum age at 14.
- 1979 Convention on the Elimination of All Forms of Discrimination against Women, United Nations, Treaty Series, vol. 1249, No. 20378.
- 1989 Convention on the Rights of the Child, United Nations, Treaty Series, vol. 1577, No. 27531
- 1999 Convention Concerning the Prohibition and Immediate Action for the Elimination of the Worst Forms of Child Labour (ILO Convention No 182) obliges State Parties to prohibit and eliminate worst forms of child labour. “Worst forms of child labour” includes the use, procuring or offering of a child for prostitution, for the production of pornography or for pornographic performances.
- 2000 United Nations Convention Against Transnational Organized Crime, G.A. Res. 25, annex I, U.N. GAOR, 55th Sess., Supp. No. 49, at 44, U.N. Doc. A/45/49 (Vol. I), including the 2000 Protocol to Prevent, Suppress and Punish Trafficking in Persons, Especially Women and Children, supplementing the United Nations Convention against Transnational Organized Crime.
- 2000 Optional Protocol to the Convention on the Rights of the Child on the sale of children, child prostitution and child pornography, General Assembly resolution 54/263, annex II.
- Additional information about the United Nations response to trafficking in women and girls may be found in the report of the Expert Group Meeting on “Trafficking in women and girls” held 18-22 November 2002.
United Nations General Recommendations and Other International Instruments
- In, General Recommendation 19, Paragraph 6(1), 1992, the Committee on the Elimination of Discrimination Against Women stated that “States parties are required by article 6 to take measures to suppress all forms of traffic in women and exploitation of the prostitution of women.”
- The Bejing Platform for Action, Article 113(b), 1995 defined trafficking in women and forced prostitution as a form of violence against women.
The General Assembly, the Economic and Social Council, the Commission on Human Rights and the Commission on the Status of Women have all passed resolutions on trafficking. None of these resolutions, however, define trafficking. They include: General Assembly resolution 50/167 of 22 December 1995; Commission on Human Rights resolution 1995/25 of 3 March 1995; Commission on the Status of Women resolutions 39/6 of 29 March 1995 and 40/4 of 22 March 1996; Commission on Human Rights resolution 1996/24 of 19 April 1996; Commission on Human Rights resolution 1997/19 of 11 April 1997, adopted without vote; Economic and Social Council resolution 1998/20 of 28 July 1998; Commission on Human Rights resolutions 1998/30 of 17 April 1998 and 1999/40 of 26 April 1999; General Assembly resolution 57/176 of 30 January 2003; General Assembly resolution 58/137 of 4 February 2004; General Assembly resolution 61/144 of 1 February 2007; General Assembly resolution 63/194 of 23 January 2009; General Assembly resolution 63/156 of 30 January 2009; Human Rights Council resolution 11/3 of 17 June 2009. (See: Report of the UN Special Rapporteur on Violence Against Women on trafficking in women, women’s migration and violence against women, 29 February 2000)