ASSEMBLY PRESIDENT CALLS FOR ERADICATION OF ROOT CAUSES OF SLAVERY -- POVERTY AND TYRANNY -- ON OCCASION OF INTERNATIONAL DAY
Press Release
GA/SM/22
OBV/29
ASSEMBLY PRESIDENT CALLS FOR ERADICATION OF ROOT CAUSES OF SLAVERY -- POVERTY AND TYRANNY -- ON OCCASION OF INTERNATIONAL DAY
19971204 Following is the message of the President of the General Assembly, Hennadiy Udovenko (Ukraine), on the occasion of the International Day for the Abolition of Slavery, which was observed on 2 December:The fact that at the end of the twentieth century the international community continues observing the International Day for the Abolition of Slavery is a sad reminder that this scourge is not a relic of the past one would want it to be, but still a reality of modern life.
Incongruously, while humanity is making big strides in the promotion of democracy and human rights, millions of people, among them the most vulnerable segments of the population, continue to suffer from this shameful phenomenon. Alongside traditional kinds of slavery, new forms have emerged, ranging from forced labour to sexual exploitation. One of the most egregious examples of modern forms of slavery is the problem of illegal trafficking in human persons, especially women and children.
Whatever its form, slavery represents a gross violation of the most fundamental human rights. The stark injustice of this practice comes into particularly sharp focus on the eve of the fiftieth anniversary of the Universal Declaration of Human rights.
As we approach the beginning of a new millennium, it is our common task to leave the remnants of this inhuman crime behind us. Slavery has already been widely condemned and outlawed, but to bring about its effective abolition from the face of our planet we must eradicate the root causes of the problem -- poverty and tyranny. To reach that goal, urgent action is needed at every level -- local, national and international. And as we observe this International Day let us rededicate ourselves to the cause of the abolition of slavery. Let history books remain the only place for this barbaric practice.
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