Depositary
STATUS AS AT : 22-06-2025 03:15:44 EDT
CHAPTER XVIII
PENAL MATTERS
3. Slavery Convention
Geneva, 25 September 1926
Entry into force
:
9 March 1927, in accordance with article 12(second).
Registration :
9 March 1927, No. 1414 1
Text : Certified true copy
League of Nations, Treaty Series, vol. 60, p. 254;
Note :

Ratifications or definitive accessions

Afghanistan

(November 9th, 1935 a)

Austria

(August 19th, 1927)

United States of America2

(March 21st, 1929 a)

Subject to the reservation that the Government of the United States, adhering to its policy of opposition to forced or compulsory labour except as punishment for crime of which the person concerned has been duly convicted, adheres to the Convention except as to the first subdivi sion of the second paragraph of Article 5, which reads as follows:

"(I) Subject to the transitional provisions laid down in paragraph (2) below, compulsory or forced labour may only be exacted for public purposes."

Belgium

(September 23rd, 1927)

United Kingdom of Great Britain and Northern Ireland 3

(June 18th, 1927)

Canada

(August 6th, 1928)

Australia

(June 18th, 1927)

New Zealand (June 18th, 1927)

Union of South Africa

(including South West Africa )(June 18th, 1927)

Ireland

(June 18th, 1930 a)

India

(June 18th, 1927)

The signature of the Convention is not binding in respect of Article 3 in so far as that article may require India to enter into any convention whereby vessels, by reason of the fact that they are owned, fitted out or commanded by Indians, or of the fact that one half of the crew is Indian, are classified as native vessels, or are denied any privilege, right or immunity enjoyed by similar vessels of other States signatories of the Covenant or are made subject to any liability or disability to which similar ships of such other States are not subject.

Bulgaria

(March 9th, 1927)

China3,4,5

(April 22nd, 1937)

Cuba

(July 6th, 1931)

Czechoslovakia6

(October 10th, 1930)

Denmark

(May 17th, 1927)

Ecuador

(March 26th, 1928 a)

Egypt

(January 25th, 1928 a)

Estonia

(May 16th, 1929)

Finland

(September 29th, 1927)

France

(March 28th, 1931)

Syria

(June 25th, 1931 a)

Lebanon

(June 25th, 1931 a)

Germany

(March 12th, 1929)

Greece

(July 4th, 1930)

Haiti

(September 3rd, 1927 a)

Hungary7

(February 17th, 1933 a)

Iraq

(January 18th, 1929 a)

Italy

(August 25th, 1928)

Latvia

(July 9th, 1927)

Liberia

(May 17th, 1930)

Mexico

(September 8th, 1934 a)

Monaco

(January 17th, 1928 a)

Burma8

The Convention is not binding upon Burma in respect of Article 3 in so far as that Article may require her to enter into any convention whereby vessels by reason of the fact that they are owned, fitted out or commanded by Burmans, or of the fact that one-half of the crew is Burman, are classified as native vessels or are denied any privilege, right or immunity enjoyed by similar vessels of other States signatories of the Covenant or are made subject to any liability or disability to which similar ships of these other States are not subject.

Netherlands9

(January 7th, 1928)

(including Netherlands Indies, Surinam and Curaçao )

Nicaragua

(October 3rd, 1927 a)

Norway

(September 10th, 1927)

Poland

(September 17th, 1930)

Portugal4

(October 4th, 1927)

Romania

(June 22nd, 1931)

Spain

(September 12th, 1927)

For Spain and the Spanish Colonies , with the exception of the Spanish Protectorate of Morocco.

Sudan

(September 15th, 1927 a)

Sweden

(December 17th, 1927)

Switzerland

(November 1st, 1930 a)

Turkey

(July 24th, 1933 a)

Yugoslavia (former)10

(September 28th, 1929)

Signatures or accessions not yet perfected by ratification

Albania11

Colombia

Dominican Republic a

Iran

Ad referendum and interpreting Article 3 as without power to compel Iran to bind herself by any arrangement or convention which would place her ships of whatever tonnage in the category of native vessels provided for by the Convention on the Trade in arms.

Lithuania

Panama

Uruguay

Actions subsequent to the assumption of depositary functions by the Secretary-General of the United Nations
Participant 12
Accession(a), Succession(d), Ratification
Antigua and Barbuda
 25 Oct 1988 d
Azerbaijan
 16 Aug 1996 a
Bahamas (The)
 10 Jun 1976 d
Bangladesh
  7 Jan 1985 a
Barbados
 22 Jul 1976 d
Benin
  4 Apr 1962 d
Bolivia (Plurinational State of)
  6 Oct 1983 a
Cameroon
  7 Mar 1962 d
Central African Republic
  4 Sep 1962 d
Chile
 20 Jun 1995 a
Congo
 15 Oct 1962 d
Côte d'Ivoire
  8 Dec 1961 d
Croatia 10
12 Oct 1992 d
Czech Republic 6
22 Feb 1993 d
Dominica
 17 Aug 1994 d
Fiji
 12 Jun 1972 d
Ghana
  3 May 1963 d
Guatemala
 11 Nov 1983 a
Guinea
 30 Mar 1962 d
Israel
  6 Jan 1955 a
Kazakhstan
  1 May 2008 a
Mali
  2 Feb 1973 d
Mauritania
  6 Jun 1986 a
Morocco 13
11 May 1959 d
Niger
 25 Aug 1961 d
North Macedonia 10
18 Jan 1994 d
Paraguay
 27 Sep 2007 a
Senegal
  2 May 1963 d
Seychelles
  5 May 1992 a
Slovakia 6
28 May 1993 d
Solomon Islands
  3 Sep 1981 d
St. Lucia
 14 Feb 1990 d
St. Vincent and the Grenadines
  9 Nov 1981 a
Suriname
 12 Oct 1979 d
Togo
 27 Feb 1962 d
Turkmenistan
  1 May 1997 a
End Note
1League of Nations,  Treaty Series , vol. 60, p. 253.
2This accession, given subject to reservation, has been communi- cated to the signatory States for acceptance.
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.
4See note 1 under “Portugal” regarding Macao in the “Historical Information” section in the front matter of this volume.
5See note 1 under “China” in the “Historical Information” section in the front matter of this volume.
6See also note 1 under “Czech Republic” and note 1 under “Slovakia” in the “Historical Information” section in the front matter of this volume.
7See League of Nations,  Treaty Series , vol. 130, p. 444.
8See note 1 under “Myanmar” in the “Historical Information” section in the front matter of this volume.
9See note 1 under “Netherlands” regarding Aruba/Netherlands Antilles in the “Historical Information” section in the front matter of this volume.
10See note 1 under “Bosnia and Herzegovina”, “Croatia”, “former Yugoslavia”, “Slovenia”, “The Former Yugoslav Republic of Macedonand “Yugoslavia” in the “Historical Information” section in the front matter of this volume.
11The Government of Albania deposited on 2 July 1957 the instrument of accession to the Convention as amended by the Protocol of 7 December 1953 (see chapter XVIII.2).
12In a notification received on 16 July 1974 the Government of the German Democratic Republic stated that the German Democratic Republic had declared the reapplication of the Convention as of 22 December 1958.
In this connection, the Secretary-General received, on 2 March 1976, the following communication from the Government of the Federal Republic of Germany:
With reference to the communication by the German Democratic Republic of 17 June 1974, concerning the application, as from 22 December 1958, of the Slavery Convention of 25 September 1926, the Government of the Federal Republic of Germany declares that in the relation between the Federal Republic of Germany and the German Democratic Republic the declaration of application has no retroactive effect beyond 21 June 1973.
Subsequently, in a communication received on 17 June 1976, the Government of the German Democratic Republic declared:
"The Government of the German Democratic Republic takes the view that in accordance with the applicable rules of international law and the international practice of States the regulations on the reapplication of agreements concluded under international law are an internal affair of the successor State concerned.  Accordingly, the German Democratic Republic was entitled to determine the date of reapplication of the Slavery Convention, September 25th, 1926 to which it established its status as a party by way of succession."
See also note 2 under “Germany” in the “Historical Information” section in the front matter of this volume.
13By virtue of its acceptance of the Protocol of amendment on 7 December 1953.
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