Dec. 2 - International Day for the Abolition of Slavery

This day marking the anniversary of the adoption in 1949 of the UN Convention for the Suppression of the Traffic in Persons and the Exploitation of Others. Abolition of the slavery in all its forms remains major priority for the Humanity. Slavery was, in a very real sense, the first international human rights issue to come to the fore. It led to the adoption of the first human rights laws and to the creation of the first human rights non-governmental organization. And yet despite the efforts of the international community to combat this abhorrent practice, it is still widely prevalent in all its insidious forms, old and new. Human Trafficking, the exploitation of the prostitution, child abuse, child work and many others kinds of slavery and slavery-like practices, remains in the modern world.

The 2006 Anti-Slavery Award winner, Sudanese activist James Aguer, declared "slavery is an inhuman and degrading practice which must not be allowed to persist in the 21 st century. We must put an end to slavery. This is a moral imperative."

Here you can find a message from Secretary-General Kofi Annan on the observance of the International Day for the Abolition of Slavery