International Convention with the object of securing the Abolition of Slavery and the Slave Trade. Signed at Geneva.-September 25, 1926. [British Ratification deposited June 18, 1927.] ALBANIA, Germany, Austria, Belgium, the British Empire, Canada, the Commonwealth of Australia, the Union of South Africa, the Dominion of New Zealand, and India, Bulgaria, China, Colombia, Cuba, Denmark, Spain, Estonia, Abyssinia, Finland, France, Greece, Italy, Latvia, Liberia, Lithuania, Norway, Panamá, the Netherlands, Persia, Poland, Portugal, Roumania, the Kingdom of the Serbs, Croats and Slovenes, Sweden, Czechoslovakia and Uruguay, Whereas the signatories of the General Act of the Brussels Conference of 1889-90 declared that they were equally animated by the firm intention of putting an end to the traffic in African slaves: Whereas the signatories of the Convention of Saint-Germain-enLaye of 1919 to revise the General Act of Berlin of 1885 and the General Act and Declaration of Brussels of 1890 affirmed their intention of securing the complete suppression of slavery in all its forms and of the slave trade by land and sea; Taking into consideration the report of the Temporary Slavery Commission appointed by the Council of the League of Nations on the 12th June, 1924; Desiring to complete and extend the work accomplished under the Brussels Act and to find a means of giving practical effect throughout the world to such intentions as were expressed in regard to slave trade and slavery by the signatories of the Convention of Saint-Germain-en-Laye, and recognising that it is necessary to conclude to that end more detailed arrangements than are contained in that convention : Considering, moreover, that it is necessary to prevent forced labour from developing into conditions analogous to slavery; Have decided to conclude a convention and have accordingly appointed as their plenipotentiaries; The President of the Supreme Council of Albania : Dr. D. Dino, Envoy Extraordinary and Minister Plenipotentiary to His Majesty the King of Italy. The President of the German Reich: Dr. Carl von Schubert, Secretary of State for Foreign Affairs. [16396] The President of the Federal Austrian Republic: M. Emerich von Pflügl, Envoy Extraordinary and Minister Plenipotentiary, representative of the Federal Government accredited to the League of Nations. His Majesty the King of the Belgians : M. L. de Brouckère, member of the Senate, first delegate of Belgium to the Seventh Ordinary Session of the Assembly of the League of Nations. His Majesty the King of the United Kingdom of Great Britain and Ireland and of the British Dominions beyond the Seas, Emperor of India : The Right Honourable Viscount Cecil of Chelwood, K.C.. For the Dominion of Canada: The Right Honourable Sir George E. Foster, G.C.M.G., P.C., LI.D., Senator, member of the King's Privy Council for Canada. For the Commonwealth of Australia: The Honourable J. G. Latham, C.M.G., K.C., M.P., For the Union of South Africa: Mr. Jacobus Stephanus Smit, High Commissioner of the For the Dominion of New Zealand: The Honourable Sir James Parr, K.C.M.G., High Commissioner in London. And for India : Sir William Henry Hoare Vincent, G.C.I.E., K.C.S.I., member of the Council of the Secretary of State for India. former member of the Executive Council of the GovernorGeneral of India. His Majesty the King of the Bulgarians: M. D. Mikoff, Chargé d'Affaires at Berne, permanent representative of the Bulgarian Government accredited to the League of Nations. The Chief Executive of the Chinese Republic : M. Chao-Hsin Chu, Envoy Extraordinary and Minister The President of the Republic of Colombia: Dr. Francisco José Urrutia, Envoy Extraordinary and Minister Plenipotentiary to the Swiss Federal Council, representative of Colombia on the Council of the League of Nations. 4041 Wt. 1125 7/27 F.O.P. 16396 B 2 The President of the Republic of Cuba : M. A. de Agüero y Bethancourt, Envoy Extraordinary and His Majesty the King of Denmark and Iceland: M. Herluf Zahle, Envoy Extraordinary and Minister Plenipotentiary to the President of the German Reich. His Majesty the King of Spain: M. M. Lopez Roberts, Marquis de la Torrehermosa, Envoy The President of the Estonian Republic: General Johan Laidoner, Member of Parliament, President of the Committee for Foreign Affairs and National Defence. Her Majesty the Empress and Queen of the Kings of Abyssinia and His Imperial and Royal Highness the Prince Regent and Heir to the Throne : Dedjazmatch Guetatchou, Minister of the Interior; Lidj Makonnen Endelkatchou; Kentiba Gebrou ; Ato Tasfae, Secretary of the Imperial League of Nations The President of the Republic of Finland: M. Rafael W. Erich, Envoy Extraordinary and Minister Plenipotentiary to the Swiss Federal Council, permanent delegate of Finland accredited to the League of Nations. The President of the French Republic: Count B. Clauzel, Minister Plenipotentiary, head of the The President of the Hellenic Republic: M. D. Caclamanos, Envoy Extraordinary and Minister M. V. Dendrȧmis, Chargé d'Affaires at Berne, permanent His Majesty the King of Italy: Professor Vittorio Scialoja, Minister of State, Senator, representative of Italy on the Council of the League of Nations. The President of the Republic of Latvia : M. Charles Duzmans, permanent representative accredited to the League of Nations. The President of the Republic of Liberia : Baron Rodolphe A. Lehmann, Envoy Extraordinary and The President of the Republic of Lithuania : M. V. Sidzikauskas, Envoy Extraordinary and Minister His Majesty the King of Norway: Dr. Fridtjof Nansen, Professor at the University of Oslo. The President of the Republic of Panamá : Dr. Eusebio A. Morales, Professor of Law at the Panamá Her Majesty the Queen of the Netherlands: Jonkheer W. F. van Lennep, Chargé d'Affaires a.i. of the His Majesty the Emperor of Persia : His Highness Prince Arfa, Ambassador, delegate of Persia accredited to the League of Nations. The President of the Polish Republic: M. Auguste Zaleski, Minister for Foreign Affairs. The President of the Republic of Portugal : Dr. A. de Vasconcellos, Minister Plenipotentiary, in charge of the League of Nations Department at the Ministry for Foreign Affairs. His Majesty the King of Roumania : M. N. Titulesco, Professor at the University of Bucharest, His Majesty the King of the Serbs, Croats and Slovenes : Dr. M. Jovanovitch, Envoy Extraordinary and Minister Plenipotentiary to the Swiss Federal Council, permanent delegate accredited to the League of Nations. His Majesty the King of Sweden: M. Einar Hennings, Envoy Extraordinary and Minister The President of the Czechoslovak Republic: M. Ferdinand Veverka, Envoy Extraordinary and Minister The President of the Republic of Uruguay: M. B. Fernandez y Medina, Envoy Extraordinary and Who, having communicated their full powers, have agreed as follows: ARTICLE 1. For the purpose of the present convention, the following definitions are agreed upon : (1.) Slavery is the status or condition of a person over whom any or all of the powers attaching to the right of ownership are exercised. (2.) The slave trade includes all acts involved in the capture, acquisition or disposal of a person with intent to reduce him to slavery; all acts involved in the acquisition of a slave with a view to selling or exchanging him; all acts of disposal by sale or exchange of a slave acquired with a view to being sold or exchanged, and, in general, every act of trade or transport in slaves. ARTICLE 2. The high contracting parties undertake, each in respect of the territories placed under its sovereignty, jurisdiction, protection, suzerainty or tutelage, so far as they have not already taken the necessary steps : (a.) To prevent and suppress the slave trade. (b.) To bring about, progressively and as soon as possible, the complete abolition of slavery in all its forms. ARTICLE 3. The high contracting parties undertake to adopt all appropriate measures with a view to preventing and suppressing the embarkation, disembarkation and transport of slaves in their territorial waters and upon all vessels flying their respective flags. The high contracting parties undertake to negotiate as soon as possible a general convention with regard to the slave trade which will give them rights and impose upon them duties of the same nature as those provided for in the Convention of the 17th June, 1925, relative to the International Trade in Arms (articles 12, 20, 21, 22, 23, 24, and paragraphs 3, 4 and 5 of Section II of Annex II), with the necessary adaptations, it being understood that this general convention will not place the ships (even of small tonnage) of any high contracting parties in a position different from that of the other high contracting parties. It is also understood that, before or after the coming into force of this general convention, the high contracting parties are entirely free to conclude between themselves, without, however, derogating |