Articles 1 - 12, Articles I-V, Annex
ALBANIA, GERMANY, AUSTRIA, BELGIUM, the BRITISH EMPIRE, CANADA, the
COMMONWEALTH OF AUSTRALIA, the UNION OF SOUTH AFRICA, the DOMINION OF
NEW ZEALAND, and INDIA, BULGARIA, CHINA, COLOMBIA, CUBA, DENMARK,
SPAIN, ESTONIA, ABYSSINIA, FINLAND, FRANCE, GREECE, ITALY, LATVIA,
LIBERIA, LITHUANIA, NORWAY, PANAMA, THE NETHERLANDS, PERSIA, POLAND,
PORTUGAL, ROUMANIA, the KINGDOM OF THE SERBS, CROATS AND SLOVENES,
SWEDEN, CZECHOSLOVAKIA and URUGUAY,
Whereas the signatories of the General Act of the Brussels Conference of 1889-90 declared that
they were equally animated by the firm intention of putting an end to the traffic in African slaves;
Whereas the signatories of the Convention of Saint-Germain- en-Laye of 1919, to revise the
General Act of Berlin of 1885, and the General Act and Declaration of Brussels of 1890, affirmed their intention of securing the complete suppression of slavery in all its forms and of the slave trade by land and sea;
Taking into consideration the report of the Temporary Slavery Commission appointed by the
Council of the League of Nations on June 12th, 1924;
Desiring to complete and extend the work accomplished under the Brussels Act and to find a means
of giving practical effect throughout the world to such intentions as were expressed in regard to
slave trade and slavery by the signatories of the Convention of Saint-Germain-en-Laye, and
recognising that it is necessary to conclude to that end more detailed arrangements than are
contained in that Convention;
Considering, moreover, that it is necessary to prevent forced labour from developing into
conditions analogous to slavery,
Have decided to conclude a Convention and have accordingly appointed as their Plenipotentiaries:
[here follow the names of 40 envoys, omitted]
Who, having communicated their full powers, have agreed as follows:
Article 1.
For the purpose of the present Convention, the following definitions are agreed upon:
(1) Slavery is the status or condition of a person over whom any or all of the powers attaching to
the right of ownership are exercised.
(2) The slave trade includes all acts involved in the capture, acquisition or disposal of a person with
intent to reduce him to slavery; all acts involved in the acquisition of a slave with a view to selling or
exchanging him; all acts of disposal by sale or exchange of a slave acquired with a view to being
sold or exchanged, and, in general, every act of trade or transport in slaves.
Article 2.
The High Contracting Parties undertake, each in respect of the territories placed under its
sovereignty, jurisdiction, protection, suzerainty or tutelage, so far as they have not already taken the
necessary steps:
(a) To prevent and suppress the slave trade;
(b) To bring about, progressively and as soon as possible, the complete abolition of slavery in all its
forms.
Article 3.
The High Contracting Parties undertake to adopt all appropriate measures with a view to preventing
and suppressing the embarkation, disembarkation and transport of slaves in their territorial waters
and upon all vessels flying their respective flags.
The High Contracting Parties undertake to negotiate as soon as possible a general Convention with
regard to the slave trade which will give them rights and impose upon them duties of the same
nature as those provided for in the Convention of June 17th, 1925, relative to the International
Trade in Arms (Articles 12, 20, 21, 22, 23, 24, and paragraphs 3, 4 and 5 of Section II of Annex
II), with the necessary adaptations, it being understood that this general Convention will not place
the ships (even of small tonnage) of any High Contracting Parties in a position different from that of
the other High Contracting Parties.
It is also understood that, before or after the coming into force of this general Convention the High
Contracting Parties are entirely free to conclude between themselves, without, however, derogating
from the principles laid down in the preceding paragraph, such special agreements as, by reason of
their peculiar situation, might appear to be suitable in order to bring about as soon as possible the
complete disappearance of the slave trade.
Article 4.
The High Contracting Parties shall give to one another every assistance with the object of securing
the abolition of slavery and the slave trade.
Article 5.
The High Contracting Parties recognise that recourse to compulsory or forced labour may have
grave consequences and undertake, each in respect of the territories placed under its sovereignty,
jurisdiction, protection, suzerainty or tutelage, to take all necessary measures to prevent compulsory
or forced labour from developing into conditions analogous to slavery.
It is agreed that:
(1) Subject to the transitional provisions laid down in paragraph (2) below, compulsory or forced
labour may only be exacted for public purposes.
(2) In territories in which compulsory or forced labour for other than public purposes still survives,
the High Contracting Parties shall endeavour progressively and as soon as possible to put an end to
the practice. So long as such forced or compulsory labour exists, this labour shall invariably be of
an exceptional character, shall always receive adequate remuneration, and shall not involve the
removal of the labourers from their usual place of residence.
(3) In all cases, the responsibility for any recourse to compulsory or forced labour shall rest with
the competent central authorities of the territory concerned.
Article 6.
Those of the High Contracting Parties whose laws do not at present make adequate provision for
the punishment of infractions of laws and regulations enacted with a view to giving effect to the
purposes of the present Convention undertake to adopt the necessary measures in order that severe
penalties may be imposed in respect of such infractions.
Article 7.
The High Contracting Parties undertake to communicate to each other and to the Secretary-General
of the League of Nations any laws and regulations which they may enact with a view to the
application of the provisions of the present Convention.
Article 8.
The High Contracting Parties agree that disputes arising between them relating to the interpretation
or application of this Convention shall, if they cannot be settled by direct negotiation, be referred for
decision to the Permanent Court of International Justice. In case either or both of the States Parties
to such a dispute should not be parties to the Protocol of December 16th, 1920 relating to the
Permanent Court of International Justice, the dispute shall be referred, at the choice of the Parties
and in accordance with the constitutional procedure of each State either to the Permanent Court of
International Justice or to a court of arbitration constituted in accordance with the Convention of
October 18th, 1907, for the Pacific Settlement of International Disputes, or to some other court of
arbitration.
Article 9.
At the time of signature or of ratification or of accession, any High Contracting Party may declare
that its acceptance of the present Convention docs not bind some or all of the territories placed under
its sovereignty, jurisdiction, protection, suzerainty or tutelage in respect of all or any provisions of
the Convention; it may subsequently accede separately on behalf of any one of them or in respect of
any provision to which any one of them is not a party.
Article 10.
In the event of a High Contracting Party wishing to denounce the present Convention, the
denunciation shall be notified in writing to the Secretary-General of the League of Nations, who
will at once communicate a certified true copy of the notification to all the other High Contracting
Parties, informing them of the date on which it was received.
The denunciation shall only have effect in regard to the notifying State, and one year after the
notification has reached the Secretary-General of the League of Nations.
Denunciation may also be made separately in respect of any territory placed under its sovereignty,
jurisdiction, protection, suzerainty or tutelage.
Article 11.
The present Convention, which will bear this day's date and of which the French and English texts
are both authentic, will remain open for signature by the States Members of the League of Nations
until April 1st, 1927.
The Secretary-General of the League of Nations will subsequently bring the present Convention to
the notice of States which have not signed it, including States which are not Members of the League
of Nations, and invite them to accede thereto.
A State desiring to accede to the Convention shall notify its intention in writing to the
Secretary-General of the League of Nations and transmit to him the instrument of accession, which
shall be deposited in the archives of the League.
The Secretary-General shall immediately transmit to all the other High Contracting Parties a certified
true copy of the notification and of the instrument of accession, informing them of the date on
which he received them.
Article 12.
The present Convention will be ratified and the instruments of ratification shall be deposited in the
office of the Secretary- General of the League of Nations. The Secretary-General will inform all the
High Contracting Parties of such deposit.
The Convention will come into operation for each State on the date of the deposit of its ratification
or of its accession.
In faith whereof the Plenipotentiaries have signed the present Convention.
DONE at Geneva the twenty-fifth day of September, One thousand nine hundred and twenty-six, in
one copy, which will be deposited in the archives of the League of Nations. A certified copy shall
be forwarded to each signatory State.
PROTOCOL AMENDING THE SLAVERY CONVENTION SIGNED AT GENEVA ON 25
SEPTEMBER 1926.
DONE AT THE HEADQUARTERS OF THE UNITED NATIONS, NEW YORK, ON 7
DECEMBER 1953
The States Parties to the present Protocol,
Considering that under the Slavery Convention signed at Geneva on 25 September 1926
(hereinafter called " the Convention ") the League of Nations was invested with certain duties and
functions, and
Considering that it is expedient that these duties and functions should be continued by the United
Nations,
Have agreed as follows:
Article I
The States Parties to the present Protocol undertake that as between them selves they will, in
accordance with the provisions of the Protocol, attribute full legal force and effect to and duly apply
the amendments to the Convention set forth in the annex to the Protocol.
Article II
1. The present Protocol shall be open for signature or acceptance by any of the States Parties to the
Convention to which the Secretary-General has communicated for this purpose a copy of the
Protocol.
2. States may become Parties to the present Protocol by:
(a) Signature without reservation as to acceptance;
(b) Signature with reservation as to acceptance, followed by acceptance; (c) Acceptance.
3. Acceptance shall be effected by the deposit of a formal instrument with the Secretary-General of
the United Nations.
Article III
1. The present Protocol shall come into force on the date on which two States shall have become
Parties thereto, and shall thereafter come into force in respect of each State upon the date on which it
becomes a Party to the Protocol.
2. The amendments set forth in the annex to the present Protocol shall come into force when
twenty-three States shall have become Parties to the Protocol, and consequently any State becoming
a Party to the Convention, after the amendments thereto have come into force, shall become a Party
to the Convention as so amended.
Article IV
In accordance with paragraph 1 of Article 102 of the Charter of the United Nations and the
regulations pursuant thereto adopted by the General Assembly, the Secretary-General of the United
Nations is authorized to effect registration of the present Protocol and of the amendments made in
the Convention by the Protocol on the respective dates of their entry into force and to publish the
Protocol and the amended text of the Convention as soon as possible after registration.
Article V
The present Protocol, of which the Chinese, English, French, Russian and Spanish texts are
equally authentic, shall be deposited in the archives of the United Nations Secretariat. The texts of
the Convention to be amended in accordance with the annex being authentic in the English and
French languages only, the English and French texts of the annex shall be equally authentic, and the
Chinese, Russian and Spanish texts shall be translations. The Secretary-General shall prepare
certified copies of the Protocol, including the annex, for communication to States Parties to the
Convention, as well as to all other States Members of the United Nations. He shall likewise prepare
for communication to States, including States not Members of the United Nations, upon the entry
into force of the amendments as provided in article III, certified copies of the Convention as so
amended.
IN WITNESS WHEREOF the undersigned, being duly authorized thereto by their respective
Governments, signed the present Protocol on the date appearing opposite their respective
signatures.
DONE at the Headquarters of the United Nations, New York, this seventh day of December one
thousand nine hundred and fifty- three.
ANNEX TO THE PROTOCOL AMENDING THE SLAVERY CONVENTION SIGNED AT
GENEVA ON 25 SEPTEMBER 1926.
In article 7 "the Secretary-General of the United Nations" shall be substituted for "the
Secretary-General of the League of Nations".
In article 8 "the International Court of Justice" shall be substituted for "the Permanent Court of
International Justice", and "the Statute of the International Court of Justice" shall be substituted for
"the Protocol of December 16th, 1920, relating to the Permanent Court of International Justice".
In the first and second paragraphs of article 10 "the United Nations" shall be substituted for "the
League of Nations".
The last three paragraphs of article 11 shall be deleted and the following substituted:
"The present Convention shall be open to accession by all States, including States which are not
Members of the United Nations, to which the Secretary-General of the United Nations shall have
communicated a certified copy of the Convention.
"Accession shall be effected by the deposit of a formal instrument with the Secretary-General of the
United Nations, who shall give notice thereof to all States Parties to the Convention and to all other
States contemplated in the present article, informing them of the date on which each such instrument
of accession was received in deposit."
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