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Convention for the suppression of the traffic in persons and of the exploitation of the prostitution of others

Description

The Convention prescribes procedures for combating international traffic for the purpose of prostitution, including extradition of offenders. It also prohibits the running of brothels and renting accommodation for prostitution purposes.

Summary

The Convention for the Suppression of the Traffic in Persons and of the Exploitation of the Prostitution of Others is a resolution of the UN General Assembly which declares that "the traffic in persons for the purpose of prostitution are incompatible with the dignity and worth of the human person". It was approved by the General Assembly on 2 December 1949 and came into effect on 25 July 1951. At 2007, there were 74 states parties to the convention, in which countries the Convention applies. Additionally, five states have signed the convention but have not yet ratified it.

Member States that have signed, ratified, and implemented the Convention are preventing prostitution by moral education and civics training, in and out of school, increasing the number of women among the State's personnel having direct contact with the populations concerned, eliminating discrimination that ostracizes prostitutes and makes their re-absorption into society more difficult, curbing the pornography industry and the trade in pornography and penalizing them very severely when minors are involved, punishing all forms of procuring in such a way as to deter it, particularly when it exploits minors and facilitating occupational training for and the re-absorption into society of persons rescued from prostitution.

Member States are co-operating closely with one another in the search for missing persons and in the identification of international networks of procurers and, if they are members of the International Criminal Police Organisation, to co-operate with that organisation, requesting it to make the suppression of the traffic in persons one of its priorities. It also encourages programmes for use in schools and in the media concerning the image of women in society.