Report of the Working Group on Contemporary Forms of Slavery of the Sub-Commission on Prevention of Discrimination and Protection of Minorities.

1991/58. Report of the Working Group on Contemporary Forms of Slaver of the Sub-Commission on Prevention of Discrimination and Protection of Minorities

The Commission on Human Rights, Recalling the provisions of the Slavery Convention of 1926, the Supplementary Convention on the Abolition of Slavery, the Slave Trade, and Institutions and Practices Similar to Slavery of 1956 and the Convention for the Suppression of the Traffic in Persons and of the Exploitation of the Prostitution of Others of 1949, Taking note of the report of the Working Group on Contemporary Forms of Slavery on its fifteenth session (E/CN.4/Sub.2/1990/44), submitted to the Sub-Commission on Prevention of Discrimination and Protection of Minorities at its forty-second session, Having considered Sub-Commission resolutions 1987/31 and 1987/32 of 4 September 1987, 1988/31 of 1 September 1988, 1989/41 of 1 September 1989 and 1990/30 of 31 August 1990, Recalling its resolutions 1982/20 of 10 March 1982 on the question of slavery and the slave trade in all their practices and manifestations and 1988/42 of 8 March 1988, 1989/35 of 6 March 1989 and 1990/63 of 7 March 1990 on the report of the Working Group on Contemporary Forms of Slavery of the Sub-Commission, Recalling Economic and Social Council resolutions 1982/20 of 4 May 1982 and 1983/30 of 26 May 1983 on the suppression of the traffic in persons and of the exploitation of the prostitution of others, Recalling also Economic and Social Council resolutions 1988/34 of 27 May 1988, 1989/74 of 24 May 1989 and 1990/46 of 25 May 1990, Recalling further General Assembly resolutions 38/107 of 16 December 1983 and 40/103 of 13 December 1985 on the prevention of prostitution, Gravely concerned that slavery, the slave trade, slavery-like practices and even modern manifestations of this phenomenon still exist, representing some of the gravest violations of human rights,

1. Expresses its appreciation to the Working Group on Contemporary Forms of Slavery of the Sub-Commission on Prevention of Discrimination and Protection of Minorities for its valuable work, in particular the progress made at its fifteenth session in executing its programme of work, and for its continued broad approach and flexible methods of work;

2. Requests the Secretary-General to invite States parties to the Slavery Convention of 1926, the Supplementary Convention on the Abolition of Slavery, the Slave Trade, and Institutions and Practices Similar to Slavery of 1956 and the Convention for the Suppression of the Traffic in Persons and of the Exploitation of the Prostitution of Others of 1949 to submit to the Sub-Commission regular reports on the situation in their countries, as provided for under the Conventions and in Economic and Social Council decision 16 (LVI) of 17 May 1974, which contains the mandate of the Working Group on Contemporary Forms of Slavery;

3. Invites those eligible States that have not ratified the relevant Conventions to consider doing so as soon as possible, or to explain in writing why they feel unable to do so, and invites them to consider providing information regarding their national legislation and practices in this field;

4. Invites intergovernmental organizations, relevant organizations of the United Nations system, including the International Labour Organisation, the World Health Organization, the World Bank, the International Monetary Fund, the Food and Agriculture Organization of the United Nations, the United Nations Educational, Scientific and Cultural Organization, the United Nations Development Programme, the United Nations Children's Fund and the United Nations University, the International Criminal Police Organization and non-governmental organizations concerned, to continue to supply relevant information to the Working Group;

5. Encourages the Sub-Commission, including its Working Group, once again to elaborate recommendations on the ways and means of establishing an effective mechanism for the implementation of the Slavery Conventions on the basis of the study prepared by the Secretary-General on this issue (E/CN.4/Sub.2/1989/37);

6. Takes note with appreciation of the assignment by the Secretary-General of a part-time professional staff member to serve the Working Group and undertake other activities relating to contemporary forms of slavery under the post which has been included in the budget of the Centre for Human Rights for questions relating to slavery and slavery-like practices and requests the Secretary-General to assign this staff member on a full-time basis;

7. Recalls once again its request to the Secretary-General to designate the Centre for Human Rights as the focal point for the coordination of activities in the United Nations for the suppression of contemporary forms of slavery;

8. Calls upon all relevant non-governmental organizations in consultative status with the Economic and Social Council, including those interested in the rights of children and women, to attend the sessions of the Working Group;

9. Recommends that the General Assembly establish a voluntary fund on contemporary forms of slavery ' and requests the Economic and Social Council to take further action on this matter;

10. Recommends that the supervisory bodies of the International Labour Organisation give particular attention in their work to the implementation of provisions and standards designed to ensure the protection of children and other persons exposed to contemporary forms of slavery;

11. Recommends that the Human Rights Committee, the Committee on Economic, Social and Cultural Rights, the Committee on the Elimination of Discrimination against Women and the Committee on the Rights of the Child, when examining periodic reports of the States parties, give particular attention to the implementation of, respectively, articles 8 and 24 of the International Covenant on Civil and Political Rights, articles 10, 12 and 13 of the International Covenant on Economic, Social and Cultural Rights and article 6 of the Convention on the Elimination of All Forms of Discrimination against Women, and articles 32, 34f 35 and 36 of the Convention on the Rights of the Child with a view to combating contemporary forms of slavery;

12. Invites the Special Rapporteur on the sale of children, to examine ways and means of cooperating with the Working Group on Contemporary Forms of Slavery;

13. Recalls its request to the Secretary-General to report to the Economic and Social Council on the steps taken by Member States, organizations of the United Nations system and intergovernmental organizations to implement the recommendations contained in Council resolution 1983/30 of 26 May 1983, and requests the Secretary-General to report on the comments received to the Council at its first regular session of 1991 and to make this report available to the Working Group;

14. Invites all Member States to consider the possibility of taking appropriate action for the protection of children and migrant women against exploitation by prostitution and other slavery-like practices, including the possibility of establishing national bodies to achieve these objectives;

15. Requests Governments to pursue a policy of information, prevention and rehabilitation of women victims of the exploitation of prostitution and to take the appropriate economic and social measures deemed necessary to that effect; 16. Recommends that these concerns be fully considered by the Working group at its sixteenth session, when its main theme of work will be the prevention of the traffic in persons and the exploitation of the prostitution of others.

53rd meeting
6 March 1991
[Adopted without a vote. See chap. XIX.]