STATUS REPORT

CONVENTION FOR THE SUPPRESSION OF THE TRAFFIC IN PERSONS AND OF THE EXPLOITATION OF THE PROSTITUTION OF OTHERS

(Lake Success, New York, 21/03/1950)

ENTRY INTO FORCE : 25 July 1951, in accordance with article 24

Depositary: Secretary-General of the United Nations

Last updated by PacLII: 09-26-12
Parties Date of Signature Date of ratification
/
Other 		Entry Into Force Domestication Legislation
(where available)
Federated States of Micronesia 23 Sep 2003      
 
Afghanistan [#]   21 May 1985 a    
Albania [#]   6 Nov 1958 a    
Algeria [#]   31 Oct 1963 a    
Argentina   15 Nov 1957 a    
Azerbaijan   16 Aug 1996 a    
Bangladesh   11 Jan 1985 a    
Belarus [#]   24 Aug 1956 a    
Belgium   22 Jun 1965 a    
Benin 25 Sep 2003      
Bolivia   6 Oct 1983 a    
Bosnia and Herzegovina   1 Sep 1993 d    
Brazil 5 Oct 1951 12 Sep 1958    
Bulgaria [#]   18 Jan 1955 a    
Burkina Faso   27 Aug 1962 a    
Cambodia 27 Sep 2004      
Cameroon   19 Feb 1982 a    
Central African Republic   29 Sep 1981 a    
Congo   25 Aug 1977 a    
Croatia   12 Oct 1992 d    
Cuba   4 Sep 1952 a    
Cyprus   5 Oct 1983 a    
Czech Republic   30 Dec 1993 d    
Côte d'Ivoire   2 Nov 1999 a    
Denmark 12 Feb 1951      
Djibouti   21 Mar 1979 a    
Ecuador 24 Mar 1950 3 Apr 1979    
Egypt   12 Jun 1959 a    
Ethiopia [#]   10 Sep 1981 a    
Finland [#] 27 Feb 1953 8 Jun 1972    
France [#]   19 Nov 1960 a    
Ghana 24 Sep 2003      
Guinea   26 Apr 1962 a    
Haiti   26 Aug 1953 a    
Honduras 13 Apr 1954 15 Jun 1993    
Hungary [#]   29 Sep 1955 a    
India 9 May 1950 9 Jan 1953    
Indonesia 25 Sep 2003      
Iran (Islamic Republic of) 16 Jul 1953      
Iraq   22 Sep 1955 a    
Israel   28 Dec 1950 a    
Italy   18 Jan 1980 a    
Japan   1 May 1958 a    
Jordan   13 Apr 1976 a    
Kazakhstan [#] 17 Nov 2004 24 Jan 2006    
Kuwait   20 Nov 1968 a    
Kyrgyzstan   5 Sep 1997 a    
Lao People's Democratic Republic [#]   14 Apr 1978 a    
Latvia   14 Apr 1992 a    
Lesotho 24 Sep 2003 24 Sep 2004    
Liberia 21 Mar 1950      
Libyan Arab Jamahiriya   3 Dec 1956 a    
Luxembourg 9 Oct 1950 5 Oct 1983    
Madagascar 1 Oct 2001      
Malawi [#]   13 Oct 1965 a    
Mali   23 Dec 1964 a    
Mauritania   6 Jun 1986 a    
Mauritius 24 Sep 2003      
Mexico   21 Feb 1956 a    
Montenegro   23 Oct 2006 d    
Morocco   17 Aug 1973 a    
Myanmar 14 Mar 1956      
Nepal   10 Dec 2002 a    
Niger   10 Jun 1977 a    
Nigeria 25 Sep 2003      
Norway   23 Jan 1952 a    
Pakistan 21 Mar 1950 11 Jul 1952    
Paraguay 26 Mar 2007      
Philippines 20 Dec 1950 19 Sep 1952    
Poland   2 Jun 1952 a    
Portugal   30 Sep 1992 a    
Republic of Korea   13 Feb 1962 a    
Romania [#]   15 Feb 1955 a    
Russian Federation [#]   11 Aug 1954 a    
Rwanda   26 Sep 2003 a    
Senegal   19 Jul 1979 a    
Serbia   12 Mar 2001 d    
Seychelles   5 May 1992 a    
Sierra Leone 26 Sep 2003      
Singapore   26 Oct 1966 a    
Slovakia   28 May 1993 d    
Slovenia   6 Jul 1992 d    
South Africa 16 Oct 1950 10 Oct 1951    
Spain   18 Jun 1962 a    
Sri Lanka   15 Apr 1958 a    
Syrian Arab Republic   12 Jun 1959 a    
Tajikistan   19 Oct 2001 a    
The Former Yugoslav Republic of Macedonia   18 Jan 1994 d    
Togo   14 Mar 1990 a    
Ukraine [#]   15 Nov 1954 a    
Uzbekistan   27 Feb 2004 a    
Venezuela (Bolivarian Republic of)   18 Dec 1968 a    
Yemen   6 Apr 1989 a    
Zimbabwe   15 Nov 1995 a    
Keys:
  • Accession (a)
  • Acceptance (A)
  • Approval (AA)
  • Definitive Signature (s)
  • Formal confirmation (c)
  • Participation (P)
  • Notification (of provisional application, of special undertaking, etc) (n)
  • Ratification (Rt)
  • Reservation (r)
  • Succession (d)

DECLARATIONS

Declarations and Reservations

(Unless otherwise indicated, the declarations and reservations were made upon ratification, accession or succession.)


Afghanistan [up]

Reservation

Whereas, the Government of the Democratic Republic of Afghanistan does not agree with the procedure of referring disputes arising between the Parties to the Convention relating to its interpretation of application, to the International Court of Justice, at the request of any one of the Parties to the dispute, therefore, it does not undertake any commitment regarding observation of article 22 of the present Convention.


Albania [up]

Declaration

Thanks to the conditions created by the popular democratic régime in Albania, the offences covered by this Convention do not find favourable ground for development there, since the social conditions which give rise to such offences have been eliminated. Nevertheless, in view of the importance of the campaign against these offences in the countries where they still exist and the international importance of that campaign, the People's Republic of Albania has decided to accede to the Convention for the Suppression of the Traffic in Persons and of the Exploitation of the Prostitution of Others adopted on 2 December 1949 at the fourth session of the United Nations General Assembly

Reservation to article 22

The People's Republic of Albania does not consider itself bound by the provisions of article 22 which stipulates that any dispute between the parties to the Convention relating to its interpretation, application or execution shall, at the request of any one of the parties to the dispute, be referred to the International Court of Justice. The People's Republic of Albania declares that with respect to the competence of the International Court in that connexion, it will continue to maintain as in the past that for any dispute to be referred to the International Court of Justice for decision the agreement of all the parties to the dispute shall be necessary in each individual case


Algeria [up]

The Democratic and Popular Republic of Algeria does not consider itself bound by the provisions of article 22 of the Convention, which provides for the compulsory competence of the International Court of Justice and declares that the agreement of all the parties to the dispute shall be necessary in each individual case for any dispute to be referred to the International Court of Justice for decision


Belarus [up]


Bulgaria [up]

Declaration

The offences referred to in the Convention are unknown under the socialist régime of the People's Republic of Bulgaria, for the conditions favouring them have been eliminated. Nevertheless, since it is important to counteract these offences in the countries where they still exist, and since it is important to the international community that such action should be taken, the People's Republic of Bulgaria has decided to accede to the Convention for the Suppression of the Traffic in Persons and of the Exploitation of the Prostitution of Others adopted by the fourth session of the General Assembly of the United Nations on 2 December 1949


Ethiopia [up]

Reservation

Socialist Ethiopia does not consider itself bound by article 22 of the Convention.


Finland [up]

Reservation to article 9

Finland reserves itself the right to leave the decision whether its citizens will or will not be prosecuted for a crime committed abroad to Finland's competent authority;


France [up]


Hungary [up]


Kazakhstan [up]

Reservation

The Republic of Kazakhstan will implement provisions of articles 1 and 18 of the Convention within the bounds of prevention and suppression of crimes and administrative offences provided by the Legislation of the Republic of Kazakhstan


Lao People's Democratic Republic [up]

The Lao People's Democratic Republic does not consider itself bound by the provisions of article 22 which state that disputes between the Parties to the Convention relating to its interpretation or application shall, at the request of any one of the Parties to the dispute, be referred to the International Court of Justice. The Lao People's Democratic Republic declares that, with respect to the competence of the International Court concerning disputes relating to the interpretation and application of the Convention, for any dispute to be referred to the International Court of Justice the agreement of all the parties to the dispute is necessary


Malawi [up]

The Government of Malawi accedes to this Convention with the exception of article 22 thereof, the effects of which are reserved.


Romania [up]


Russian Federation [up]

Declaration

In the Soviet Union the social conditions which give rise to the offences covered by the Convention have been eliminated. Nevertheless, in view of the international importance of suppressing these offences, the Government of the Soviet Union has decided to accede to the Convention for the Suppression of the Traffic in Persons and of the Exploitation of the Prostitution of Others adopted on 2 December 1949 at the fourth session of the United Nations General Assembly


Ukraine [up]

Declaration

In the Ukrainian Soviet Socialist Republic the social conditions which give rise to the offences covered by the Convention have been eliminated. Nevertheless, in view of the international importance of suppressing these offences, the Government of the Ukrainian Soviet Socialist Republic has decided to accede to the Convention for the Suppression of the Traffic in Persons and of Exploitation of the Prostitution of Others adopted on 2Â December 1949 at the fourth session of the United Nations General Assembly

NOTES

1. Official Records of the General Assembly, Fourth Session, Resolutions (A/125 and Corr.1 and 2), p. 33

2. The German Democratic Republic had acceded to the Convention on 16 July 1974 with a reservation and a declaration. For the text of the reservation and declaration see United Nations, Treaty Series , vol. 943, p. 339. See also note 2 under "Germany" in the "Historical Information" section in the front matter of this volume

3. The former Yugoslavia had signed and ratified the Convention on 6 February 1951 and 26 April 1951, respectively. See also note 1 under "Bosnia and Herzegovina", "Croatia", "former Yugoslavia", "Slovenia", "The Former Yugoslav Republic of Macedonia" and "Yugoslavia" in the "Historical Information" section in the front matter of this volume

4. Czechoslovakia had acceded to the Convention on 14 March 1958. See also note 1 under "Czech Republic" and note 1 under "Slovakia" in the "Historical Information" section in the front matter of this volume

5. Accession by the United Arab Republic. See also note 1 under "United Arab Republic" in the "Historical Information" section in the front matter of this volume

6. On 7 July 1999, the Government of Portugal informed the Secretary-General that the Convention would apply to Macao

Subsequently, on 18 November and 3 December 1999, the Secretary-General received communications regarding the status of Macao from Portugal and China (see note 3 under "China" and note 1 under "Portgual" in the "Historical Information" section in the front matter of this volume). Upon resuming the exercise of sovereignty over Macao, China notified the Secretary-General that the Convention will also apply to the Macao Special Administrative Region

7. See note 1 under "Montenegro" in the "Historical Information" section in the front matter of this volume

8. The formality was effected by the Yemen Arab Republic. See also note 1 under "Yemen" in the "Historical Information" section in the front matter of this volume

9. The Government of the Philippines informed the Secretary-General that it objects to the reservations made by the Governments of Belarus and Hungary because it feels that the reference to the International Court of Justice of any dispute relating to the interpretation or application of the Convention should not be made dependent on the consent of all parties

10. In communications received on 8 March 1989, 19 April 1989 and 20 April 1989, respectively, the Governments of the Union of Soviet Socialist Republics, Belarus and Ukraine, notified the Secretary-General that they had decided to withdraw the reservations relating to article 22 made upon accession. For the texts of the reservations see United Nations, Treaty Series, vol. 196, p. 349, vol. 1527 and vol. 201, p. 372, respectively

11. In a communication received on 13 May 1955, the Government of Haiti informed the Secretary-General that it considers that in case of dispute it should be possible for either of the Contracting Parties concerned, without previous agreement between them, to refer a dispute to the International Court of Justice and that consequently it does not accept the reservation entered into by Bulgaria

On that same date, the Government of South Africa informed the Secretary-General that it regards article 22 as fundamental to the Convention and cannot, therefore, accept the reservation entered into by Bulgaria

Similar communications were received by the Secretary-General from the Governments of Haiti and South Africa in respect of the reservations made by the Governments of Belarus, Hungary and Romania

On 24 June 1992, the Government of Bulgaria notified the Secretary-General its decision to withdraw the reservation to article 22 of the Convention made upon accession which reads as follows

The People's Republic of Bulgaria declares, with respect to the competence of the International Court of Justice in disputes relating to the interpretation or application of the Convention, that the consent of all the parties to the dispute is necessary in each particular case before any dispute whatsoever can be referred to the Court

12. On 11 March 2005, the Government of France informed the Secretary-General that it had decided to withdraw its declaration made upon accession, which reads as follows

The Government of the French Republic declares that, until further notice, this Convention will only be applicable to the metropolitan territory of the French Republic

13. In a communication received on 8 December 1989, the Govern- ment of Hungary notified the Secretary-General that it had decided to withdraw its reservation relating to article 22 made upon accession. For the text of the reservation see United Nations, Treaty Series , vol. 1427, p. 407

14. In a communication received on 2 April 1997, the Government of Romania notified the Secretary-General that it had decided to withdraw its reservation relating to article 22 made upon accession

Reservations

Notes

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