25 May 1990

14th Plenary Meeting

1990/46. Suppression of the traffic in persons

The Economic and Social Council,

Recalling Commission on Human Rights resolutions 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, 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 on Prevention of Discrimination and Protection of Minorities,

Recalling 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 and 1988/34 of 27 May 1988 and 1989/74 of 24 May 1989 on the Working Group on Contemporary Forms of Slavery of the Sub-Commission on Prevention of Discrimination and Protection of Minorities,

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,

Noting with appreciation the report of the Secretary-General on the implementation of Economic and Social Council resolution 1983/30 on the suppression of the traffic in persons and of the exploitation of the prostitution of others,

Noting that only a few Member States, United Nations organizations and other intergovernmental organizations have submitted information on the steps taken to implement the recommendations contained in Council resolution 1983/30,

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) of 17 May 1974;

2. Takes note with appreciation of the report of the Secretary-General on the implementation of Economic and Social Council resolution 1983/30 on the suppression of the traffic in persons and of the exploitation of the prostitution of others;

3. Requests the Secretary-General to report further to the Economic and Social Council, at its first regular session of 1991, on the steps taken to implement the recommendations contained in Council resolution 1983/30 by those Member States, United Nations organizations and other intergovernmental organizations that have not yet submitted such information and to make that report available to the Working Group on Contemporary Forms of Slavery of the Sub-Commission on Prevention of Discrimination and Protection of Minorities;

4. Endorses the request of the Commission on Human Rights, in its resolution 1990/63 of 7 March 1990, that the staff member appointed to serve the Working Group and undertake other activities relating to contemporary forms of slavery in the post which has been included in the budget of the Centre for Human Rights for questions relating to slavery and slavery-like practices be assigned on a full-time basis;

5. Endorses the request of the Commission on Human Rights, in its resolution 1989/35, which was reiterated in its resolution 1990/63, 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;

6. Decides to consider the question of the suppression of traffic in persons at its first regular session of 1991 under the agenda item entitled "Human rights".