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1957
1969
1981
1989
1998
1999
2000
2005
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ILO Convention (No. 105) Concerning the Abolition of Forced Labour
obliges governments to suppress “any form of forced or compulsory labour”.
Organization of American States (OAS) American Convention on
Human Rights (Article 6: Freedom from Slavery)
states: “no one shall be subject to slavery or to involuntary servitude, which are
prohibited in all their forms, as are the slave trade and traffic in women,” and
“no one shall be required to perform forced or compulsory labour.” Like the
1950 european Convention, it also excludes work in situations of detention.
African Union (formerly Organization of African Unity, OAU)
African Charter on Human and Peoples’ Rights (Article 5)
states: “All forms of exploitation and degradation of man, particularly slavery, slave
trade, torture, cruel, inhuman or degrading punishment and treatment shall be prohibited.”
UN Convention on the Rights of the Child (Articles 34 and 35)
Protects children from all forms of sexual exploitation, including exploitation in
prostitution and pornography, and prohibits the abduction, sale and trafficking of children.
Rome Statute of the International Criminal Court
established the International Criminal Court in the Hague, which has jurisdiction with
respect to genocide, crimes against humanity, war crimes, and the crime of enslavement.
ILO Convention (182) Concerning the Prohibition and Immediate Action for
the Elimination of the Worst Forms of Child Labour
Addresses the difficulty in distinguishing between excessive and exploitative forms
of child labour and identifies the “worst forms”, such as slavery, debt bondage, forced
labour, recruitment for armed forces, prostitution and drug trafficking.
UN Protocol to Prevent, Suppress and Punish Trafficking in Persons
Especially Women and Children (part of the 2000 UN Convention
Against Transnational Organized Crime)
Commits states to prevent and combat trafficking in persons, to protect and assist victims of
trafficking and to promote co-operation among states in order to meet those objectives.
Council of Europe Convention on Action against Trafficking in Human Beings
Aims at preventing and combating trafficking in human beings, while guaranteeing
gender equality. Also aims at protecting and assisting victims and witnesses, to
ensure effective investigation and prosecution, while promoting international
cooperation against human trafficking.
The writings
of the
freed slave
equiano
olaudah
contributed
greatly to
anti-slavery
campaigns.
5. Combating contemporary slavery
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Until the mid-1990s, it was widely thought that slavery was a thing of
the past. This complacent belief has now been challenged by human
rights campaigners, who have helped people understand that forms
of contemporary slavery still exist. More than 100 governments have
recently drafted new anti-slavery laws – especially concerning human
trafficking. non-Governmental organisations (nGos), especially in the
global south, where more victims of contemporary slavery live, have been particularly
active in raising these issues. And more longstanding nGos, such as Amnesty International
and Human Rights Watch, have highlighted instances of contemporary slavery within
their broader work on human rights issues around the world.
From yesterday’s abolitionists…
Historical opposition to slavery came from two main sources: enslaved Africans and
abolitionists (people who were not enslaved but were committed to ending slavery).
Despite the dangers involved for the slaves, there were many slave revolts on plantations
and estates. some slaves escaped and established independent communities outside
european control. others took up arms and secured their freedom on the battlefield.
Wherever slavery came to an end, both slaves and former slaves were central to the story.
Transatlantic slavery was a system for acquiring and sustaining colonies, strengthening
empire, and building industrial strength in the home country. This meant that
abolitionists were taking on powerful economic interests. slave owners claimed that
slavery was both morally and religiously justified. But the pressure from the abolitionist
campaign eventually succeeded, and lawmakers acted to outlaw slavery.
The movement exposing and opposing slavery used many strategies and tactics.
• ex-slaves gave powerful testimony in speeches and writings, making the case
against slavery
• Abolitionists wrote articles and pamphlets, and gave sermons and lectures
against slavery
• People signed petitions calling for an end to slavery
• People boycotted goods made by slave labour, such as the 300,000 people who
joined a boycott of sugar grown on plantations using slave labour. Pamphlets
encouraged the public to buy sugar made by free labour instead
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