International Day for the Abolition of Slavery

The International Day for the Abolition of Slavery, 2 December, recalls the date of the adoption in 1949 by the General Assembly, of the United Nations Convention for the Suppression of the Traffic in Persons and of the Exploitation of the Prostitution of Others [resolution 317(IV) of 2 December 1949].

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.

Contemporary slavery takes various forms and affects people of all ages, sex and race. 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.

Read UN Secretary-General Ban Ki-moon’s message

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