31 May 1991

13th plenary meeting

United Nations Voluntary Trust Fund on Contemporary Forms of Slavery

The Economic and Social Council,

Recalling its decisions 16 (LVI) and 17 (LVI) of 17 May 1974, by which it authorized the Subcommission on Prevention of Discrimination and Protection of Minorities to establish a Working Group on Slavery, renamed the Working Group on Contemporary Forms of Slavery by the Commission on Human Rights in its resolution 1988/42 of 8 March 1988,

Taking note of Commission on Human Rights resolution 1991/58 of 6 March 1991, by which it requested the Economic and Social Council to take further action on its recommendation to the General Assembly to establish a voluntary fund on contemporary forms of slavery,

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,

Convinced that the establishment of a voluntary trust fund on contemporary forms of slavery would constitute a significant development for the protection of human rights of victims of contemporary forms of slavery,

1. Requests the General Assembly to establish a voluntary trust fund in accordance with the following criteria:

(a) The name of the Fund shall be the United Nations Trust Fund on Contemporary Forms of Slavery;

(b) The purposes of the Fund shall be, first, to assist representatives of non-governmental organizations from different regions, dealing with issues of contemporary forms of slavery, to participate in the deliberations of the Working Group on Contemporary Forms of Slavery by providing them with financial assistance and, second, to extend, through established channels of assistance, humanitarian, legal and financial aid to individuals whose human rights have been severely violated as a result of contemporary forms of slavery;

(c) Funding shall take place by means of voluntary contributions from Governments, non-governmental organizations and other private or public entities;

(d) The only types of activity to be supported by the Fund are those described in subparagraph (b) above;

(e) The only beneficiaries from the Fund shall be:

(i) Representatives from non-governmental organizations dealing with issues of contemporary forms of slavery:

a. Who are so considered by the Board of Trustees of the United Nations Voluntary Fund on Contemporary Forms of Slavery described in subparagraph (f) below;

b. Who would not, in the opinion of the Board, be able to attend the sessions of the Working Group without the assistance provided by the Fund;

c. Who would be able to contribute to a deeper knowledge on the part of the Working Group of the problems relating to contemporary forms of slavery;

(ii) Individuals whose human rights have been severely violated as a result of contemporary forms of slavery and who are so considered by the Board of Trustees of the United Nations Voluntary Fund on Contemporary Forms of Slavery;

(f) The Fund shall be administered in accordance with the Financial Regulations and Rules of the United Nations and other relevant provisions, with the advice of a Board of Trustees composed of five persons with relevant experience in the field of human rights and contemporary forms of slavery in particular, who will serve in their personal capacity; the members of the Board of Trustees shall be appointed by the Secretary-General for a three-year term renewable in consultation with the current Chairman of the Subcommission on Prevention of Discrimination and Protection of Minorities and with due regard to equitable geographical distribution.