End Human Trafficking Now

Adopted by UN General Assembly (GA) resolution A/RES/55/25 of 15 November 2000, entered into force on 25 December 2003
143 State Parties,117 signatories (as of March 2011)
Universal crime prevention treaty focusing on law enforcement response to human trafficking. It also contains provision on the protection of victims. It stipulates a legal definition of trafficking in persons, provisions on criminalization of human trafficking in national law, measures of prevention and cooperation, and provisions on assistance to victims. It relates only to transnational human trafficking involving an organized criminal group.

Adopted by the International Labour Conference at its eighty-seventh session (1999), entered into force on 19 November 2000
173 State Parties (as of March 2011)
Universal treaty containing an obligation to take immediate and effective measures to secure the prohibition and elimination of the worst forms of child labor. This includes all forms of slavery or practices similar to slavery, such as the sale of and trafficking in children.

Adopted by the International Labour Conference at its fourteenth session (June 1930), entered into force on 1 May 1932
174 State Parties (as of January 2011)
Universal treaty containing an obligation for the Parties to suppress the use of forced or compulsory labour in all its forms. It is the first international legal instrument providing a definition of forced and compulsory labour and listing possible exceptions.

Adopted by the International Labour Conference at its fortieth session (June 1959), entered into force on 17 January 1969
169 State Parties (as of January 2011)
Universal treaty containing obligations for the Parties to suppress and not to make use of any form of forced or compulsory labour. It aims to supplement the provisions of Convention No. 29 on Forced Labour.

Adopted by the Fifth Inter-American Specialized Conference on Private International Law, 18 March 1994, entered into force on 15 August 1997
14 State Parties, 2 signatories (as of March 2011)
Regional treaty aiming to ensure the protection of minors against trafficking. It stipulates the obligation of State Parties to institute a system of mutual legal assistance dedicated to the prevention and punishment of the international trafficking in minors and ensure the prompt return of minors who are victims of international traffic to the State of their habitual residence, bearing in mind the best interests of the minors.

Adopted by UN GA resolution 44/25 of 20 November 1989, entered into force 2 September 1990
193 State Parties, 140 signatories (as of March 2011)
Universal human rights treaty containing a comprehensive set of children’s rights. State Parties are obliged to protect children against all forms of exploitation and to take all measures to prevent the abduction, sale of and traffic in children. The Committee on the Rights of the Child monitors the implementation of the CRC Convention by State Parties through consideration of their periodic reports.

Adopted by UN GA resolution 54/263 of 25 May 2000, entered into force on 18 January 2002
118 State Parties, 142 signatories (as of March 2011)
Universal human rights treaty focusing on the prohibition of the sale of children, child prostitution and pornography; criminalization of such acts, prosecution of their perpetrators and cooperation in this respect; and protection of victims of such acts.

prostitution

Adopted by UN GA resolution 34/180 of 18 December 1979, entered into force 3 September 1981
186 State Parties, 98 signatories (as of March 2011)
Universal human rights treaty prohibiting discrimination against women in all aspects of life. The convention also obliges State Parties to suppress all forms of traffic in women and the exploitation of prostitution of women. The Committee on the Elimination of all Forms of Discrimination against Women monitors the implementation of the CEDAW Convention by States Parties through consideration of periodic reports.

Adopted by a Conference of Plenipotentiaries on 7 September 1956, entered into force on 30 April 1957
123 State Parties, 35 signatories (as of March 2011)
Universal treaty stipulating the obligation to take steps to complete the abolition of practices similar to slavery, including the practice whereby a child is delivered to another person with a view to the exploitation of the child.

Signed in Geneva on 25 September 1926, amended by the Protocol in 1953, entered into force on 17 July 1955
99 State Parties (as of March 2011)
Universal treaty containing obligations to take steps to prevent and suppress the slave trade and to bring about the complete abolition of slavery.

Adopted by the UN Diplomatic Conference of Plenipotentiaries on the Establishment of an International Criminal Court on 17 July 1998, entered into force on 1 July 2002
114 State Parties, 139 signatories (as of March 2011)
Universal treaty establishing the International Criminal Court with jurisdiction over the crime of genocide, crimes against humanity, war crimes and the crime of aggression. Trafficking in persons is included in the definition of “enslavement” within the category of crimes against humanity.

Adopted on 16 May 2005, entered into force on 1 March 2011
10 signatories, 33 ratifications (as of March 2011)
Regional treaty focusing on the protection of victims of trafficking and their rights, and also on the prevention of trafficking and prosecution of traffickers. It applies to all forms of human trafficking and provides for the setting up of a monitoring mechanism.

Adopted by the Eleventh SAARC Summit, 5 January 2002
Sub-regional treaty promoting cooperation of States in the prevention and suppression of human trafficking. It stipulates the obligation of State Parties to criminalize human trafficking, to prosecute its perpetrators and to cooperate in this respect; and to protect victims of trafficking.