International Agreement for the Suppression of the White Slave Traffic
The International Agreement for the Suppression of the White Slave Traffic, also known as the White Slave Convention, refers to a series of anti–human trafficking treaties aimed at curbing the illegal trade of white people. The first treaty was negotiated in Paris in 1904 and is considered one of the earliest multilateral treaties to address slavery and human trafficking. The agreement recognized human trafficking as a punishable crime and required the 12 signatory states to exchange information regarding trafficking networks.
The 1926 Slavery Convention and the 1933 International Convention for the Suppression of the Traffic in Women and Children are considered follow-up documents in the global fight against trafficking and slavery.
Background
In the 19th and early 20th centuries, "white slavery" was a term commonly used in Anglophone countries to describe the sexual enslavement of white women, often in connection with Middle Eastern harems and tales of Circassian beauties. During the Crimean War, procurers and prostitutes followed British and French troops to Constantinople and later settled in Port Said, Egypt, where they opened brothels. These establishments, protected by foreign consular privileges (the Capitulatory system), became hubs for victims of the white slave trade.
A rising wave of international opposition to the white slave trade emerged in the late 19th century: - In 1877, the First International Congress for the Abolition of Prostitution was held in Geneva. - The International Association of Friends of Young Girls (Internationale Verein Freundinnen junger Mädchen or Amies de la jeune fille) was formed. - National organizations followed, including: - Freundinnenverein (Germany) - National Vigilance Association (UK) - Vaksamhet (Sweden)
Public anxiety reached its peak in 1880s Britain, following the exposure of the Eliza Armstrong case and other high-profile scandals.
The First International Congress Against White Slave Trade was held in London in 1899, which led to the founding of the International Bureau for the Suppression of the Traffic in Women and Children. The 1902 Paris campaign developed into the 1904 treaty.
Early Treaties
1904 Treaty
- Signed: 18 May 1904 (Paris)
- In force: 18 July 1905
- Parties: 26 states ratified
1910 Treaty
- Signed: 4 May 1910 (Paris)
- In force: 5 July 1920
- Parties: 41 states ratified
1949 Protocol
In 1949, a Protocol was signed at Lake Success, New York, amending and updating both earlier treaties. It was: - Signed: 4 May 1949 - Came into force: - 21 June 1951 (amended 1904 treaty) - 14 August 1951 (amended 1910 treaty)
As of 2013: - 33 states had ratified the 1949 amending Protocol - 54 state parties were part of the 1949-amended versions
See Also
- Child grooming(https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Child_grooming)
- Sexual slavery(https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Sexual_slavery)
References
- Ratifications of initial 1904 treaty – Archived Link (2015)(https://web.archive.org/web/20150908072644/http://www.ohchr.org/EN/ProfessionalInterest/Pages/SuppressionWhiteSlaveTraffic.aspx)
- Ratifications of initial 1910 treaty – Archived Link (2014)(https://web.archive.org/web/20141007154658/http://www.ohchr.org/EN/ProfessionalInterest/Pages/SuppressionWhiteSlaveTraffic.aspx)
- Ratifications of 1949 amending Protocol – Archived Link (2013)(https://web.archive.org/web/20131018031529/http://www.ohchr.org/EN/ProfessionalInterest/Pages/SuppressionWhiteSlaveTraffic.aspx)
- Ratifications of amended 1904 treaty – Archived Link (2015)(https://web.archive.org/web/20150907071741/http://www.ohchr.org/EN/ProfessionalInterest/Pages/SuppressionWhiteSlaveTraffic.aspx)
- Ratifications of amended 1910 treaty – Archived Link (2015)(https://web.archive.org/web/20150907071744/http://www.ohchr.org/EN/ProfessionalInterest/Pages/SuppressionWhiteSlaveTraffic.aspx)