Mechanisms for countering modern slavery

From November 28 to December 13, a thematic exhibition "Slavery of the XXI century: causes of the phenomenon and mechanisms of counteraction" dedicated to the International Day of Struggle for the Abolition of Slavery was opened in the Official Documents Service Department (room 207).

This Day is celebrated annually on December 2 and is associated with the date of adoption by the UN General Assembly of the Convention for the Suppression of Trafficking in Persons and the Exploitation of Prostitution by Third Parties (resolution 317 (IV B) of December 2, 1949).

Slavery has become an unprecedented tragedy and one of the darkest pages of human history. Today we live in a civilized society where slavery is, officially, abolished and prohibited. However, in reality, it has not been eradicated, but has simply taken on new forms.

Although modern slavery has no legal definition, the concept is used as a general term covering practices such as forced labour, debt bondage, forced marriage and human trafficking. In fact, this refers to situations of exploitation that a person cannot refuse due to threats, violence, coercion, deception and/or abuse of power.

The exhibition offered to readers includes about 100 documents in Russian, English and German. These are books, periodicals, mimeographed UN materials, brochures, booklets.

The exposition introduces the reader to the research of the phenomenon of modern slavery and human trafficking, as well as to the international legal aspects of regulating and countering this problem within the framework of the UN, OSCE, ILO and other international organizations. A separate section of the exhibition is dedicated to Belarus' initiatives aimed at preventing crimes related to new forms of modern slave trade.

Among the documents presented at the exhibition are reports on the issue of human trafficking, collections of international and regulatory legal acts of the Republic of Belarus in the field of combating human trafficking, practical manuals, collections of scientific papers, materials of scientific and practical conferences, monographs, etc.

The exhibition includes the following thematic sections:

• History, forms of manifestation and essence of slavery and the slave trade
• Modern forms of slavery
• Forced labour. Child labour
• Human trafficking
• International cooperation and international legal aspects of the regulation of the fight against slavery and the slave trade
• Republic of Belarus against trafficking

Modern slavery exists in almost all countries of the world and crosses ethnic, cultural and religious borders. According to the UN, every year millions of people, mostly women and children, are enslaved, become victims of deception and violence, turn into a "living commodity" and are exploited. They are abducted, sold, forced to work and live in inhuman conditions. The "new slave trade" has become one of the most acute and widespread problems of our time.

The exhibition is intended for employees of investigative and operational units of law enforcement agencies, psychologists, social workers, judges, lawyers, teachers and students of higher educational institutions of legal profile, as well as all those interested in the state of problems of managing the processes of combating international slavery and the slave trade.

Useful links

Declarations, conventions and agreements

• Optional Protocol to the Convention on the Rights of the Child on the sale of children, child prostitution and child pornography (2000)
• Protocol on the Prevention, Suppression and Punishment of Trafficking in Persons, Especially Women and Children, supplementing the UN Convention against Transnational Organized Crime (2000)
• Recommendation on Consent to Marriage, minimum age of marriage and registration of marriages (1965)
• Convention on Consent to Marriage, Age of Marriage and Registration of Marriages (1962)
• Supplementary Convention on the Abolition of Slavery, the Slave Trade and Institutions and Customs Similar to Slavery (1956)
• Protocol Amending the Slavery Convention signed in Geneva on September 25, 1926 (1953)
• Convention for the Suppression of the Traffic in Persons and of the Exploitation of the Prostitution of Others (1949)
• Universal Declaration of Human Rights (1948)
• The Slavery Convention (1926)
• Conventions of the International Labour Organization (ILO)
• Protocol to the 1930 Forced Labour Convention (2014)
• Convention on the Prohibition and Immediate Action for the Elimination of the Worst Forms of Child Labour (Convention No. 182, 1999)
• Convention on the Minimum Age for Admission to Employment (Convention No. 138, 1973)
• Convention on the Abolition of Forced Labour (Convention No. 105, 1957)
• Forced Labour Convention (Convention No. 29, 1930)

• UN Secretary-General's campaign "Ending violence against women together" (November 25)
• Outreach program on the transatlantic slave trade and slavery
• International Day of Remembrance of the Victims of Slavery and the Transatlantic Slave Trade
• World Day against Child Labour
• International Day of Struggle for Freedom (A/RES/317(IV))

Lists of literature for thematic book exhibitions see in section Lists of literature for exhibitions in 2023.

The opening hours of the exhibition corresponds to the library’s opening hours.
Entrance to the exhibition is available by the library ticket or ticket of the library's social and cultural center.

Phone for inquiries: +37517 293 27 26.

The material was provided by the official documents service department.