United Nations Treaties, Conventions and General Recommendations

Last edited: January 25, 2011

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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
  • 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))
  • 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))

 

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)