CHAPTER XVIII

PENAL MATTERS1Protocol amending the Slavery Convention signed at Geneva on 25 September 1926New York, 7 December 1953Entry into force7 December 1953, in accordance with article III.1Registration7 December 1953, No. 2422StatusSignatories11Parties61TextUnited Nations, <i>Treaty Series </i>, vol. 182, p. 51.The Protocol was approved by the General Assembly of the United Nations in resolution 794 (VIII)<superscript>2</superscript> of 23 October 1953.

Participant<superscript>3,4</superscript>SignatureDefinitive signature(s), Acceptance(A), Succession(d), Accession(a)Afghanistan16 Aug 1954 sAntigua and Barbuda25 Oct 1988 dAustralia 9 Dec 1953 sAustria 7 Dec 1953 16 Jul 1954 AAzerbaijan16 Aug 1996 aBahamas10 Jun 1976 dBangladesh 7 Jan 1985 ABarbados22 Jul 1976 dBelgium24 Feb 1954 13 Dec 1962 ABolivia (Plurinational State of) 6 Oct 1983 aBosnia and Herzegovina<superscript>5</superscript> 1 Sep 1993 dCameroon27 Jun 1984 ACanada17 Dec 1953 sChile20 Jun 1995 aCroatia<superscript>5</superscript>12 Oct 1992 dCuba28 Jun 1954 sDenmark 3 Mar 1954 sDominica17 Aug 1994 dEcuador 7 Sep 1954 17 Aug 1955 AEgypt15 Jun 1954 29 Sep 1954 AFiji12 Jun 1972 dFinland19 Mar 1954 AFrance14 Jan 1954 14 Feb 1963 AGermany<superscript>6,7</superscript>29 May 1973 AGreece 7 Dec 1953 12 Dec 1955 AGuatemala11 Nov 1983 AGuinea12 Jul 1962 AHungary26 Feb 1958 AIndia12 Mar 1954 sIraq23 May 1955 AIreland31 Aug 1961 AIsrael12 Sep 1955 AItaly 4 Feb 1954 sKazakhstan 1 May 2008 aLiberia 7 Dec 1953 sMali 2 Feb 1973 AMauritania 6 Jun 1986 AMexico 3 Feb 1954 sMonaco28 Jan 1954 12 Nov 1954 AMorocco11 May 1959 AMyanmar14 Mar 1956 29 Apr 1957 ANetherlands<superscript>8</superscript>15 Dec 1953 7 Jul 1955 ANew Zealand<superscript>9</superscript>16 Dec 1953 sNicaragua14 Jan 1986 ANiger 7 Dec 1964 ANorway24 Feb 1954 11 Apr 1957 AParaguay27 Sep 2007 aRomania13 Nov 1957 sSerbia12 Mar 2001 dSolomon Islands 3 Sep 1981 dSouth Africa29 Dec 1953 sSpain10 Nov 1976 sSt. Lucia14 Feb 1990 dSt. Vincent and the Grenadines 9 Nov 1981 ASweden17 Aug 1954 sSwitzerland 7 Dec 1953 sSyrian Arab Republic 4 Aug 1954 ATurkey14 Jan 1955 sTurkmenistan 1 May 1997 aUnited Kingdom of Great Britain and Northern Ireland 7 Dec 1953 sUnited States of America16 Dec 1953 7 Mar 1956 A

ParticipantDate of receipt of the notificationTerritories

Netherlands<superscript>8</superscript> 7 Jul 1955Netherlands Antilles, Netherlands New Guinea and Suriname1The amendments set forth in the Annex to the Protocol entered into force on 7 July 1955, in accordance with article III of the Protocol.2<i> Official Records of the General Assembly, Eighth Session, Supplement No. 17 </i>(A/2630), p. 50.3The Secretary-General received, on 10 June 1999, communications concerning the status of Hong Kong from China and the United Kingdom (see also note 2 under “China” and note 2 under “United Kingdom of Great Britain and Northern Ireland” regarding Hong Kong in the “Historical Information” section in the front matter of this volume). Upon resuming the exercise of sovereignty over Hong Kong, China notified the Secretary-General that the Convention will also apply to the Hong Kong Special Administrative Region.In addition, the communication by China 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 7 December 1953 and 14 December 1955 respectively of the [said Protocol] are all illegal and therefore null and void.4Signed and ratified on behalf of the Republic of China on 7 December 1953 and 14 December 1955, respectively (note 1 under “China” in the “Historical Information” section in the front matter of this volume).5The former Yugoslavia had signed and accepted the Protocol on 11 February 1954 and 21 March 1955, 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.6See note 1 under “Germany” regarding Berlin (West) in the “Historical Information” section in the front matter of this volume.7The German Democratic Republic had accepted the Protocol on 16 July 1974. See note 2 under “Germany” in the “Historical Information” section in the front matter of this volume.8See note 1 under “Netherlands” regarding Aruba/Netherlands Antilles in the “Historical Information” section in the front matter of this volume.9See note 1 under “New Zealand” regarding Tokelau in the “Historical Information” section in the front matter of this volume.