United Nations Treaty Collection
[As of 5 February 2002]

4. Supplementary Convention on the Abolition of Slavery, the Slave Trade, and Institutions and Practices Similar to Slavery

Geneva, 7 September 1956



Entry into force:  30 April 1957, in accordance with article 13.
Registration:  30 April 1957, No. 3822.
Status:  Signatories: 35 ,Parties: 119.
Text:  United Nations, Treaty Series, vol. 266, p. 3. 

Note: The Convention was adopted by the United Nations Conference of Plenipotentiaries on a Supplementary Convention on the Abolition of Slavery, the Slave Trade, and Institutions and Practices Similar to Slavery. The Conference was convened pursuant to resolution 608 (XXI)1, of 30 April 1956 of the Economic and Social Council of the United Nations, and met at the European Office of the United Nations in Geneva from 13 August to 4 September 1956. In addition to the Convention, the Conference adopted the Final Act and two resolutions for the texts of which, see United Nations, Treaty Series, vol. 226, p. 3.
 

 

PARTICIPANTS

Participant2 Signature  Ratification, Accession (a), Succession (d) 
Afghanistan    16 Nov 1966 a 
Albania    6 Nov 1958 a 
Algeria    31 Oct 1963 a 
Antigua and Barbuda    25 Oct 1988 d 
Argentina    13 Aug 1964 a 
Australia  7 Sep 1956  6 Jan 1958 
Austria    7 Oct 1963 a 
Azerbaijan    16 Aug 1996 a 
Bahamas    10 Jun 1976 d 
Bahrain    27 Mar 1990 a 
Bangladesh    5 Feb 1985 a 
Barbados    9 Aug 1972 d 
Belarus  7 Sep 1956  5 Jun 1957 
Belgium  7 Sep 1956  13 Dec 1962 
Bolivia    6 Oct 1983 a 
Bosnia and Herzegovina3   1 Sep 1993 d 
Brazil    6 Jan 1966 a 
Bulgaria  26 Jun 1957  21 Aug 1958 
Cambodia    12 Jun 1957 a 
Cameroon    27 Jun 1984 a 
Canada  7 Sep 1956  10 Jan 1963 
Central African Republic    30 Dec 1970 a 
Chile    20 Jun 1995 a 
China4,5    
Congo    25 Aug 1977 a 
Côte d'Ivoire    10 Dec 1970 a 
Croatia3   12 Oct 1992 d 
Cuba  10 Jan 1957  21 Aug 1963 
Cyprus    11 May 1962 d 
Czech Republic6   22 Feb 1993 d 
Democratic Republic of the Congo    28 Feb 1975 a 
Denmark  27 Jun 1957  24 Apr 1958 
Djibouti    21 Mar 1979 a 
Dominica    17 Aug 1994 d 
Dominican Republic    31 Oct 1962 a 
Ecuador    29 Mar 1960 a 
Egypt    17 Apr 1958 a 
El Salvador  7 Sep 1956   
Ethiopia    21 Jan 1969 a 
Fiji    12 Jun 1972 d 
Finland    1 Apr 1959 a 
France  7 Sep 1956  26 May 1964 
Germany7,8 7 Sep 1956  14 Jan 1959 
Ghana    3 May 1963 a 
Greece  7 Sep 1956  13 Dec 1972 
Guatemala  7 Sep 1956  11 Nov 1983 
Guinea    14 Mar 1977 a 
Haiti  7 Sep 1956  12 Feb 1958 
Hungary  7 Sep 1956  26 Feb 1958 
Iceland    17 Nov 1965 a 
India  7 Sep 1956  23 Jun 1960 
Iran (Islamic Republic of)    30 Dec 1959 a 
Iraq  7 Sep 1956  30 Sep 1963 
Ireland    18 Sep 1961 a 
Israel  7 Sep 1956  23 Oct 1957 
Italy  7 Sep 1956  12 Feb 1958 
Jamaica    30 Jul 1964 d 
Jordan    27 Sep 1957 a 
Kuwait    18 Jan 1963 a 
Kyrgyzstan    5 Sep 1997 a 
Lao People's Democratic Republic    9 Sep 1957 a 
Latvia    14 Apr 1992 a 
Lesotho    4 Nov 1974 d 
Liberia  7 Sep 1956   
Libyan Arab Jamahiriya    16 May 1989 a 
Luxembourg  7 Sep 1956  1 May 1967 
Madagascar    29 Feb 1972 a 
Malawi    2 Aug 1965 a 
Malaysia    18 Nov 1957 a 
Mali    2 Feb 1973 a 
Malta    3 Jan 1966 d 
Mauritania    6 Jun 1986 a 
Mauritius    18 Jul 1969 d 
Mexico  7 Sep 1956  30 Jun 1959 
Mongolia    20 Dec 1968 a 
Morocco    11 May 1959 a 
Nepal    7 Jan 1963 a 
Netherlands  7 Sep 1956  3 Dec 1957 
New Zealand    26 Apr 1962 a 
Nicaragua    14 Jan 1986 a 
Niger    22 Jul 1963 a 
Nigeria    26 Jun 1961 d 
Norway  7 Sep 1956  3 May 1960 
Pakistan  7 Sep 1956  20 Mar 1958 
Peru  7 Sep 1956   
Philippines    17 Nov 1964 a 
Poland  7 Sep 1956  10 Jan 1963 
Portugal9 7 Sep 1956  10 Aug 1959 
Romania  7 Sep 1956  13 Nov 1957 
Russian Federation  7 Sep 1956  12 Apr 1957 
Saint Lucia    14 Feb 1990 d 
Saint Vincent and the Grenadines    9 Nov 1981 a 
San Marino  7 Sep 1956  29 Aug 1967 
Saudi Arabia    5 Jul 1973 a 
Senegal    19 Jul 1979 a 
Seychelles    5 May 1992 a 
Sierra Leone    13 Mar 1962 d 
Singapore    28 Mar 1972 d 
Slovakia6   28 May 1993 d 
Slovenia3   6 Jul 1992 d 
Solomon Islands    3 Sep 1981 d 
Spain    21 Nov 1967 a 
Sri Lanka  5 Jun 1957  21 Mar 1958 
Sudan  7 Sep 1956  9 Sep 1957 
Suriname    12 Oct 1979 d 
Sweden    28 Oct 1959 a 
Switzerland    28 Jul 1964 a 
Syrian Arab Republic10   17 Apr 1958 a 
The Former Yugoslav Republic of Macedonia3   18 Jan 1994 d 
Togo    8 Jul 1980 a 
Trinidad and Tobago    11 Apr 1966 d 
Tunisia    15 Jul 1966 a 
Turkey  28 Jun 1957  17 Jul 1964 
Turkmenistan    1 May 1997 a 
Uganda    12 Aug 1964 a 
Ukraine  7 Sep 1956  3 Dec 1958 
United Kingdom of Great Britain and Northern Ireland  7 Sep 1956  30 Apr 1957 
United Republic of Tanzania    28 Nov 1962 a 
United States of America    6 Dec 1967 a 
Uruguay    7 Jun 2001 a 
Yugoslavia3   12 Mar 2001 d 
Zambia    26 Mar 1973 d 
Zimbabwe    1 Dec 1998 d 

 

DECLARATIONS

Declarations and Reservations

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

Bahrain

[See in chapter XVIII.2.]

Territorial Application

Participant  Date of receipt of the notification  Territories 
Australia  6 Jan 1958  All the non-self governing, trust and other non-metropolitan territories for the international relations of which Australia is responsible 
France  26 May 1964  All the territories of the Republic (Metropolitan France, overseas departments and territories) 
Italy  12 Feb 1958  Somaliland under Italian Administration 
Netherlands11, 3 Dec 1957  Surinam, the Netherlands Antilles and Netherlands New Guinea 
New Zealand  26 Apr 1962  The Cook Islands (including Niue) and the Tokelau Islands 
United Kingdom  30 Apr 1957  The Channel Islands and the Isle of Man 
United States of America  6 Dec 1967  All territories for the international relations of which the United States of America is responsible 

Territorial applications under paragraph 2 of article 12 of the Convention

Participant  Date of receipt of the notification  Territories 
United Kingdom5,12,13, 6 Sep 1957  Aden, Bahamas, Barbados, Basutoland, Bechuanaland, Bermuda, British Guiana, British Honduras, Brunei, Cyprus, Falkland Islands, Fiji, Gambia, Gibraltar, Hong Kong, Jamaica, Kenya, Antigua, Montserrat, St. Kitts-Nevis, Virgin Islands, Malta, Mauritius, North Borneo, St. Helena, Sarawak, Seychelles, Sierra Leone, Singapore, Somaliland Protectorate, Swaziland, Tanganyika, Gilbert and Ellice Islands, Solomon Islands Protectorate, Grenada, St. Lucia, St. Vincent, Zanzibar, Federation of Rhodesia and Nyasaland, Bahrain, Qatar, The Trucial States (Abu Dhabi, Ajman, Dubai, Fujairah, Ras al Khaimah, Sharjah and Ummal Qaiwain) 
  18 Oct 1957  Dominica and Tonga 
  21 Oct 1957  Kuwait 
  30 Oct 1957  Uganda 
  14 Nov 1957  Trinidad and Tobago 
  1 Jul 1957  The Federation of Nigeria 

 

NOTES

1. Official Records of the Economic and Social Council, Twenty-first Session, Supplement No. 1 (E/2889), p. 7.

2. The Convention had been signed on behalf of the Republic of Viet-Nam on 7 September 1956. See also note 34 in chapter I.2 and note 1 in chapter III.6.

3. The former Yugoslavia had signed and ratifiied the Convention on 7 September 1956 and 20 May 1958, respectively. See also notes 1 regarding "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. Signed and ratified on behalf of the Republic of China on 23 May 1957 and 28 May 1959, respectively. See note concerning signatures, ratifications, accessions, etc. on behalf of China (note5 in chapter I.1).

With reference to the above-mentioned ratification, communications have been addressed to the Secretary-General by the Permanent Missions to the United Nations of Hungary, Poland and the Union of Soviet Socialist Republics, on the one hand, and of China on the other hand. For the nature of these communications, see note 3 in chapter VI.14.

5. On 10 June 1997, the Governments of China and the United Kingdom of Great Britain and Northern Ireland notified the Secretary-General of the following:

China:

[Same notification as the one made under note 6 in chapter V.3.]

United Kingdom of Great Britain and Northern Ireland:

[Same notification as the one made under note 5 in chapter IV.1.]

In addition, the notification also contained the following declaration:

The Government of the People's Republic of China also declares that the signature and ratification by the Taiwan authorities in the name of China on 23 May 1957 and 28 May 1959 respectively of the [said Convention] are all illegal and therefore null and void.

6. Czechoslovakia had signed and ratified the Convention on 7 September 1956 and 13 June 1958, respectively. See also note 12 in chapter I.2.

7. The German Democratic Republic had acceded to the Convention on 16 July 1974. See also note 15 in chapter I.2.

8. A note accompanying the instrument of ratification contains a statement that "the Supplementary Convention . . . also applies to Land Berlin as from the date on which the Convention enters into force in the Federal Republic of Germany".

With reference to the above-mentioned statement, communications have been addressed to the Secretary-General by the Governments of Czechoslovakia, Poland, Romania, the Union of Soviet Socialist Republics on the one hand, and by the Government of the Federal Republic of Germany on the other hand. The said communications are identical in essence, mutatis mutandis, to those referred to in the second paragraph of note 5 in chapter III.3.

See also note 7.

9. On 27 April 1999, the Government of Portugal informed the Secretary-General that the Convention would apply to Macau.

Subsequently, the Secretary-General received the following communications on the dates indicated hereinafter:

Portugal (27 April 1999):

"In accordance with the Joint Declaration of the Government of the Portuguese Republic and the Government of the People's Republic of China on the Question of Macau signed on 13 April 1987, the Portuguese Republic will continue to have international responsibility for Macau until 19 December 1999 and from that date onwards the People's Republic of China will resume the exercise of sovereignty over Macau with effect from 20 December 1999.

From 20 December 1999 onwards the Portuguese Republic will cease to be responsible for the international rights and obligations arising from the application of the Convention to Macau."

China (3 December 1999):

In accordance with the Joint Declaration of the Government of the People's Republic of China and the Government of the Republic of Portugal on the Question of Macau signed on 13 April 1987 (hereinafter referred to as the Joint Declaration), the Government of the People's Republic of China will resume the exercise of sovereignty over Macau with effect from 20 December 1999. Macau will, from that date, become a Special Administrative Region of the People's Republic of China and will enjoy a high degree of autonomy, except in foreign and defense affairs which are the responsibilities of the Central People's Government of the People's Republic of China.

It is provided both in Section VIII of Elaboration by the Government of the People's Republic of China of its Basic Policies Regarding Macau, which is Annex I to the Joint Declaration, and Article 138 of the Basic Law of the Macau Special Administrative Region of the People's Republic of China (hereinafter referred to as the Basic Law), which was adopted on 31 March 1993 by the National People's Congress of the People's Republic of China, that international agreements to which the People's Republic of China is not yet a party but which are implemented in Macau may continue to be implemented in the Macau Special Administrative Region.

In accordance with the above provisions, [the Government of the People's Republic of China informs the Secretary-General of the following:]

The Supplementary Convention on the Abolition of Slavery, the Slave Trade, and Institutions and Practices similar to Slavery, done at Geneva on 7 September 1956 (hereinafter referred to as the "Convention"), which applies to Macau at present, will continue to apply to the Macau Special Administrative Region with effect from 20 December 1999.

Within the above ambit, the Government of the People's Republic of China will assume the responsibility for the international rights and obligations that place on a Party to the Convention.

10. Accession by the United Arab Republic. See note 6 in chapter I.1.

11. See note 9 in chapter I.1.

12. On 3 October 1983, the Secretary-General received from the Government of Argentina the following objection:

[The Government of Argentina makes a] formal objection to the [declaration] of territorial extension issued by the United Kingdom with regard to the Malvinas Islands (and dependencies), which that country is illegally occupying and refers to as the "Falkland Islands".

The Argentine Republic rejects and considers null and void the [said declaration] of territorial extension.

With reference to the above-mentioned objection, the Secretary-General received, on 28 February 1985, from the Government of the United Kingdom of Great Britain and Northern Ireland the following declaration:

[For the text of the declaration, see note 28 in chapter IV.1.]

13. See note 28 in chapter V.2.