20 July 1992

32nd 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, 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, and taking note of Commission resolutions 1992/47 of 3 March 1992 on the report of the Working Group on Contemporary Forms of Slavery of the Subcommission on Prevention of Discrimination and Protection of Minorities and 1992/74 of 5 March 1992,

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 and 1991/35 of 31 May 1991 on the suppression of the traffic in persons,

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,

Having examined the report of the Secretary-General on the implementation of 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,

Convinced that the United Nations Trust Fund on Contemporary Forms of Slavery will play an important role in the protection of the human rights of victims of contemporary forms of slavery,

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 Council decision 16 (LVI) of 17 May 1974;

2. Takes note with appreciation of the report of the Secretary-General on the implementation of 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 substantive session of 1993, 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. Also requests the Secretary-General to include in that report information on activities of the supervisory bodies of the International Labour Organisation regarding the implementation of provisions and standards designed to ensure the protection of children and other persons exposed to contemporary forms of slavery;

5. Further requests the Secretary-General to include in that report information on any operational activities of the United Nations system that can foster the implementation of standards designed to ensure the protection of children and other persons exposed to contemporary forms of slavery and activities that may be geared to the prevention of violations and alleviation of the plight, or rehabilitation, of victims;

6. Urges the Secretary-General to ensure effective servicing of the Working Group and of other activities related to the suppression of contemporary forms of slavery and slavery-like practices, and requests him to report to the Council at its substantive session of 1993 on the steps taken in this regard;

7. Reiterates its request to the Secretary-General to designate the Centre for Human Rights of the Secretariat as the focal point for the coordination of activities in the United Nations for the suppression of contemporary forms of slavery;

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

9. Welcomes the establishment of the United Nations Trust Fund on Contemporary Forms of Slavery;

10. Decides to consider the question of the suppression of the traffic in persons at its substantive session of 1993 under the item entitled "Human rights questions".