02 国际废除奴隶日 International Day for the Abolition of Slavery

The 2nd of December is International Day for the Abolition of Slavery. It was on this day in 1949 that the United Nations passed an anti-slavery resolution. This was titled the Convention for the Suppression of the Traffic in Persons and of the Exploitation of the Prostitution of Others. It was another half a century before the UN created an official day based on this. The day serves to remind people that slavery still exists in this world today. It highlights the fact that slavery is a terrible breach of human rights. The U.N. wants people to fully understand the words of the Universal Declaration of Human Rights, which says: “No one shall be held in slavery or servitude.” Most slavery today is forced labour, child labour and human trafficking people.

Slavery is thousands of years old. It dates back to almost every ancient civilization. It was a part of normal international trade throughout the Roman Empire, through to Medieval times and right up to the transatlantic slave trade. Slavery in the USA was officially made illegal in 1865. The website Wikipedia describes the current situation of slavery. It says: “Although outlawed in nearly all countries, forms of slavery still exist.” The site provides an estimate that there are over 28 million people in slavery today. Human rights campaigner Siddharth Kara calculated the average price of slaves on today’s market is $340, with a high of $1,900. Most slavery today takes place in parts of Africa, the Middle East and South Asia.