Slavery and slavery-like practices.

1985/25. Slavery and slavery-like practices[1]79

The Commission on Human Rights, Recalling the provisions of the Slavery Convention,[2]80 the Supplementary Convention on the Abolition of Slavery, the Slave Trade, and Institutions and Practices Similar to Slavery,[3]81 and the Convention for the Suppression of the Traffic in Persons and of the Exploitation of the Prostitution of there,[4]82 Having considered resolution 1984/33 of 30 August 1984 of the Sub-Commission on Prevention of Discrimination and Protection of Minorities and the relevant parts of the report of the Sub-Commission on the work of its thirty-seventh session,[5]83 in particular those concerning the conclusions and recommendations of its Working Group on Slavery, Gravely concerned at the persistence and, in some cases, the recrudescence of various slavery-like practices today, in shocking disregard of accepted international standards on human rights, Considering, in the light of the work of the Sub-Commission and its Working Group on Slavery, that several issues, such as the ill-treatment and exploitation of women and children, debt bondage and the ill-treatment of domestic servants in various situations, have not until very recently received sufficient attention,

1. Invites those eligible States which have not signed or ratified the Convention for the Suppression of the Traffic in Persons and of the Exploitation of the Prostitution of Others to do so as soon as possible;

2. Requests the Secretary-General to invite States parties to the Slavery Convention, the Supplementary Convention on the Abolition of Slavery, the Slave Trade, and Institutions and Practices Similar to Slavery and the Convention for the Suppression of the Traffic in Persons and of the Exploitation of the Prostitution of Others to report regularly upon their compliance with the provisions of the Conventions;

3. Invites all States, as well as relevant organs and agencies of the United Nations system, competent intergovernmental organizations, including the International Criminal Police Organization, and non-governmental organizations concerned to continue to supply relevant information to the Working Group on Slavery;

4. Requests the Secretary-General to transmit to the Governments concerned for information and such observations as they may wish to make, and to the United Nations bodies and specialized agencies mentioned by the Working Group on Slavery in its recommendations, the statements containing specific allegations of slavery-like practices submitted to the Working Group on Slavery at its tenth session by non-governmental organizations together with the relevant parts of the Working Group's report;[6]84

5. Requests the Sub-Commission to consider undertaking, at the appropriate time, a study concerning alleged slavery-like practices against women and children, as mentioned in the report of the Working Group on Slavery, indicating ways and means by which women and children subjected to such practices could best be assisted and rehabilitated, for subsequent consideration by the Commission on Human Rights, and also the study on debt bondage, as recommended on previous occasions by the Sub-Commission;

6. Recommends that the struggle against procuring be intensified at the national level and, further, that international measures be adopted with the twofold purpose of dismantling the networks which feed prostitution and repatriating the victims of these networks, as well as extending assistance to them;

7. Recommends that all States concerned should adopt and implement such social and legal measures as are necessary to ensure the orderly and effective reinsertion into society of the victims of prostitution;

8. Recommends that the mass media, including those of the United Nations system, be more widely used to publicize the evils of slavery and slavery-like practices and to make people more aware of their rights and responsibilities in the struggle against such practices;

9. Recommends that Governments be encouraged to avail themselves of the possibility of requesting assistance under the programme of advisory services in the field of human rights, and other programmes as appropriate, for the elimination of slavery, slavery-like practices, and their sequels;

10. Requests the United Nations Children's Fund, the International Labour Organisation, the Food and Agriculture Organization of the United Nations and the United Nations Educational, Scientific and Cultural Organization to give particular attention in their technical assistance programmes to situations where poverty is leading to or perpetuating slavery and slavery-like practices.

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[1]79 Adopted at the 51st meeting, on 11 March 1985, without a vote. See chap. XIX. [2]80 League of Nations, Treaty Series, vol. LX, Nor. 1414, p.253. [3]81 United Nations, Treaty Series, vol. 266, No. 3822, p. 40. [4]82 Ibid., vol. 96, No. 1342, p. 271. [5]83 E/CN.4/1985/3. [6]84 E/CN.4/Sub.2/1984/25.