31 May 1991

13th plenary meeting

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, 1990/63 of 7 March 1990 and 1991/58 of 6 March 1991 on the report of the Working Group on Contemporary Forms of Slavery of the Subcommission on Prevention of Discrimination and Protection of Minorities,

Recalling also 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, 1988/34 of 27 May 1988 and 1989/74 of 24 May 1989 on the Working Group on Contemporary Forms of Slavery of the Subcommission on Prevention of Discrimination and Protection of Minorities and 1990/46 of 25 May 1990,

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 coordination and cooperation 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 that they should submit to the Working Group on Contemporary Forms of Slavery of the Subcommission 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 submit a further report to the Council, at its regular session of 1992, 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 Subcommission on Prevention of Discrimination and Protection of Minorities;

4. Urges the Secretary-General to ensure effective servicing of the Working Group and of other activities related to contemporary forms of slavery and slavery-like practices, and requests him to report to the Council at its regular session of 1992 on the steps taken;

5. Requests the Secretary-General to designate the Centre for Human Rights as the focal point for the coordination of activities in the United Nations for the suppression of contemporary forms of slavery;

6. Urges the Commission on the Status of Women and the Committee on Crime Prevention and Control to collaborate closely with the Centre for Human Rights on the issue of suppression of contemporary forms of slavery;

7. Endorses the recommendation of the Commission on Human Rights, in its resolution 1991/58, that the supervisory bodies of the International Labour Organisation give particular attention in their work to the implementation of provisions and standards designed to ensure protection of children and other persons exposed to contemporary forms of slavery;

8. Endorses the recommendation of the Commission on Human Rights, in its resolution 1991/58, that the Human Rights Committee, the Committee on Economic, Social and Cultural Rights, the Committee on the Elimination of Discrimination against Women and the Committee on the Rights of the Child, when examining periodic reports of States parties, give particular attention to the implementation of, respectively, articles 8 and 24 of the International Covenant on Civil and Political Rights, articles 10, 12 and 13 of the International Covenant on Economic, Social and Cultural Rights, article 6 of the Convention on the Elimination of All Forms of Discrimination against Women, and articles 32, 34, 35 and 36 of the Convention on the Rights of the Child, with a view to combating contemporary forms of slavery;

9. Decides to consider the question of the suppression of traffic in persons at its regular session of 1992 under the agenda item entitled "Human rights questions".