Universal Declaration of Human Rights

The United Nations supplied this fact sheet in June 1991. It is a good idea to share this fact sheet about Slavery today with everyone. We should be aware that slavery has not been abolished yet. The fact sheet reads as follows:

Slavery: the modern reality 

Slavery was the first human rights issue to arouse wide international concern. Yet, in the face of universal condemnation, slavery-like practices remain a grave and persistent problem in the closing years of the twentieth century.  

The word "slavery" today covers a variety of human rights violations. In addition to traditional slavery and the slave trade, these abuses include the sale of children, child prostitution, child pornography, the exploitation of child labor, the sexual mutilation of female children, the use of children in armed conflicts, debt bondage, the traffic in persons and in the sale of human organs, the exploitation of prostitution, and certain practices under apartheid and colonial régimes.

Slavery-like practices may be clandestine. This makes it difficult to have a clear picture of the scale of contemporary slavery, let alone to uncover, punish or eliminate it. The problem is

compounded by the fact that the victims of slavery-like abuses are generally from the poorest and most vulnerable social groups. Fear and the need to survive do encourage them not to speak out.

There is enough evidence, however, to show that slavery-like practices are vast and widespread. Just one figure tells a grim story: 100 million children are exploited for their labor, according to a recent estimate by the International Labor Organization (ILO).

As a contribution to the campaign to raise public awareness of human rights issues, this Fact Sheet describes the modern forms of slavery, as well as the work done at the international level to halt and prevent it. There are also suggestions for private groups and individuals who can help by their action to build a universal human rights order in which slavery-like practices will no longer be tolerated.

Aspects of slavery 

A stream of evidence presented to United Nations human rights bodies, notably the Working Group on Contemporary Forms of Slavery, as well as studies and the findings of special rapporteurs, give an accurate picture of current slavery-like practices.

Previous | Next