24 May 1989

16th plenary meeting

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

The Economic and Social Council,

Recalling Commission on Human Rights resolution 1982/20 of 10 March 1982 on the question of slavery and the slave trade in all their practices and manifestations, including the slavery-like practices of apartheid and colonialism,

Recalling also 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,

Considering that the report of the Special Rapporteur of the Economic and Social Council on the suppression of the traffic in persons and the exploitation of the prostitution of others still constitutes a useful basis for further action,

Recalling 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 and slavery-like practices still exist, that there are modern manifestations of those phenomena and that such practices represent some of the gravest violations of human rights,

Aware of the complexity of the issue of the suppression of the traffic in persons and the exploitation of the prostitution of others and 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. Reminds 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 of their obligation to submit to the Working Group on Contemporary Forms of Slavery of the Sub-Commission on Prevention of Discrimination and Protection of Minorities regular reports on the situation in their countries, as provided for under the relevant conventions and under Economic and Social Council decision 16 (LVI);

2. Endorses the request of the Commission on Human Rights in its resolution 1989/35 of 6 March 1989 that the Secretary-General assign a full-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;

3. Endorses the request made by the Commission on Human Rights in its resolution 1988/42 of 8 March 1988, that the Secretary-General report to the Economic and Social Council on the steps taken by Member States, United Nations organizations and other intergovernmental organizations to implement the recommendations made in Council resolution 1983/30 and the request made by the Commission in its resolution 1989/35 of 6 March 1989 that the Secretary-General report to the Council at its first regular session of 1990 on the comments received;

4. Endorses the request made by the Commission on Human Rights in its resolution 1989/35 that the Secretary-General designate the Centre for Human Rights as the focal point for the co-ordination of activities in the United Nations for the suppression of contemporary forms of slavery;

5. Decides to consider the question of the suppression of traffic in persons at its first regular session of 1990 under the agenda item entitled "Human rights".