SECRETARY-GENERAL URGES ACTION TO ADDRESS CONTEMPORARY FORMS OF SLAVERY, IN STATEMENT TO GENERAL ASSEMBLY
Press Release
SG/SM/6121
SECRETARY-GENERAL URGES ACTION TO ADDRESS CONTEMPORARY FORMS OF SLAVERY, IN STATEMENT TO GENERAL ASSEMBLY
19961206 Following is the text of the statement of Secretary-General Boutros Boutros-Ghali to the General Assembly on the occasion of the International Day for the Abolition of Slavery, 6 December:On 2 December, 1949, the Convention for the Suppression of the Traffic in Persons and of the Exploitation of the Prostitution of Others entered into force. It is entirely fitting that the General Assembly should devote today's meeting, on the occasion of the International Day for the Abolition of Slavery, to consideration of the global trade in human beings and, in particular, the traffic in women and children.
Slavery is an evil which the world has rightly outlawed and condemned. It is the most shameful, inhumane and degrading exploitation of human beings by other human beings. And yet in earlier times, slavery was an institution, an accepted part of the cultural, economic and political framework of many States.
For most of us, the abolition of slavery in the States where it once existed heralded the welcome eradication of a barbaric and inhumane practice.
On the eve of the twenty-first century, however, the international community must acknowledge that slavery is far from dead. On the contrary, it is very much alive. The grim reality of modern slavery requires that the world community remain ever vigilant. We must be strong in our commitment to uphold and to implement the 1926 and 1956 slavery conventions in full. We must rededicate ourselves to the abolition of slavery in all its forms.
Today, tens of millions of people all over the world are living in slavery. In some countries, traditional slavery has still not disappeared. In others, new forms such as debt bondage and forced labour have become commonplace.
There can never be any excuse for the forced labour of children, for the sexual and physical abuse of servants, and for the sale of women and children into prostitution.
- 2 - Press Release SG/SM/6121 6 December 1996
The traffic in human beings has become a serious challenge to the entire international community. The traffic in persons is now a highly organized and international trade with links to organized crime. It is a trade which mainly affects young women and girls. It can and often does lead to prostitution, forced domestic service and pornography. In the late twentieth century, this situation is simply unacceptable.
Today, we have a very public opportunity to rededicate ourselves to fighting the traffickers and to ending their shameful trade.
The realities of trafficking are stark. Physical force and abuse are widespread. Victims are often misled by promises of honest, well-paid work. They can all too easily find themselves prisoners in a foreign country with no means of support and no appeal to law. The vast majority of victims of trafficking have been placed in debt bondage by their parents, husbands or friends, or are tricked or forced into it. The mail-bride industry has lured many women into leaving their country of origin in search of a secure family life. This dream of a better future can so often turn into the nightmare of forced prostitution in a foreign land.
Women and girl victims of prostitution trafficking face the most appalling exploitation. They are usually held captive, their passports confiscated, and they are frequently subject to physical as well as sexual abuse. This is a truly global problem affecting millions of women and children.
This is a traffic with profound social, economic and health-care implications for countries all around the world. It is an evil trade which requires concerted and urgent national and international action.
For our part, working together with Member States, the United Nations has already made some progress in the fight against the global traffic in women and girls. We have established clear principles and clear guidelines for political and legislative action. These include the Convention on the Elimination of All Forms of Discrimination against Women and the Convention on the Rights of the Child.
Today, however, we can and should go much further. Despite our best intentions, the global traffic in women and girls continues to grow. Despite our best efforts, too many loopholes and too many problems of implementation and application remain. Despite this, there is hope. The 1995 Fourth World Conference on Women and the 1996 World Congress on the Sexual Exploitation of Children both offer a comprehensive plan of action and a way forward.
The Platform for Action adopted last year in Beijing called for the complete elimination of trafficking in women and for greater assistance to victims of trafficking and prostitution. Achieving this strategic objective will not be easy. It will require concerted action by Member States and regional and international organizations.
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Specifically, the Platform urged action in five areas: first, the ratification and implementation of the international conventions on trafficking and on slavery; second, legislation protecting the rights of women and of children; third, greater cooperation in the fight against organized crime and the international trafficking networks; fourth, new resources for rehabilitation and health care of trafficking victims; and last, preventive education and training programmes.
Similarly, the Declaration and Agenda for Action adopted by the Stockholm World Congress urges action to ensure the full implementation of the Convention on the Rights of the Child. It calls for the commercial sexual exploitation of children to be outlawed; greater international cooperation; a renewed emphasis on education and awareness; and new laws aimed at prevention and the protection of victims.
These platforms provide new hope for the millions of women and child victims of trafficking. But good intentions in themselves cannot save one woman or child from sexual and physical exploitation. They must be translated into concrete measures, new legislation, and an increase in resources at the national and international levels.
On this International Day for the Abolition of Slavery, I urge you to address these issues with urgency and a renewed sense of outrage. The time for action is now.
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