27 May 1988

16th plenary meeting

Working Group on Slavery of the Sub-Commission on Prevention of Discrimination and Protection of Minorities

The Economic and Social Council,

Noting Commission on Human Rights resolution 1988/42 of 8 March 1988,

Recalling its 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 further General Assembly resolutions 38/107 of 16 December 1983 and 40/103 of 13 December 1985 on the prevention of prostitution,

Desiring to give further follow-up to the excellent report of its Special Rapporteur, Mr. J. Fernand-Laurent, on the suppression of the traffic in persons and the exploitation of the prostitution of others,

Commending the Sub-Commission on Prevention of Discrimination and Protection of Minorities and, in particular, its Working Group on Slavery for their work on contemporary forms of slavery,

Aware of the complexity of the issue of the suppression of the traffic in persons and of the exploitation of the prostitution of others and of the need for further co-ordination and co-operation to implement the recommendations made by the Special Rapporteur and by various United Nations bodies,

1. Invites all Member States to draw up a special programme for the prevention of child prostitution, the suppression of its exploitation and the social rehabilitation of its victims;

2. Recommends that the United Nations Children's Fund allocate technical and financial support to Member States that are developing countries for the setting up of experimental programmes for the prevention of child prostitution and the social rehabilitation of its victims;

3. Encourages the United Nations Educational, Scientific and Cultural Organization to carry out the study on the legal and effective protection of minors from pornography that was recommended by the international meeting of experts held in Madrid from 18 to 21 March 1986;

4. Invites Member States that belong to the International Criminal Police Organization to request that organization to make the fight against the international traffic in children one of its priorities;

5. Decides to apply the provisions of this resolution, where appropriate, to young women and recommends that the Secretary-General and Member States do likewise;

6. Requests the Secretary-General to urge the following bodies to be represented at the sessions of the Working Group on Contemporary Forms of Slavery: Commission on the Status of Women, Centre for Social Development and Humanitarian Affairs of the United Nations Secretariat, United Nations Children's Fund, United Nations Development Programme, United Nations University, International Labour Organisation, Food and Agriculture Organization of the United Nations, United Nations Educational, Scientific and Cultural Organization, World Health Organization, World Bank, International Monetary Fund and International Criminal Police Organization;

7. Requests the Secretary-General to prepare a survey of the recommendations made by the Working Group since its inception;

8. Endorses the recommendation made by the Commission on Human Rights in its resolution 1988/42 that the Sub-Commission on Prevention of Discrimination and Protection of Minorities consider appointing a special rapporteur to review the implementation of the recommendations made and the appropriate measures taken by United Nations organs and specialized agencies, other international organizations and Member States and to submit recommendations with a view to achieving further progress in the prevention and suppression of slavery-like practices, the traffic in persons and the exploitation of the prostitution of others, as well as other contemporary forms of slavery;

9. Decides, in the light of the recommendations made in its resolution 1983/30 and General Assembly resolutions 38/107 and 40/103, to consider the question of the suppression of the traffic in persons and of the exploitation of the prostitution of others at its first regular session of 1989 under the agenda item entitled "Human rights".