Editing Abolitionism (section)

==International abolitionism==
The first international attempt to address the abolition of slavery was the [[World Anti-Slavery Convention]], organised by the [[British and Foreign Anti-Slavery Society]] at Exeter Hall in London, on 12–23 June 1840. This was however an attempt made by NGOs, not by state and governments. In the late 19th century, the issue was addressed on an international level by states and governments. The [[Brussels Anti-Slavery Conference 1889–90]] addressed slavery on a semi-global level via the representatives of the colonial powers. It had concluded with the [[Brussels Conference Act of 1890]]. The 1890 Act was revised by the [[Convention of Saint-Germain-en-Laye 1919]].

During the 20th century the issue of slavery was addressed by the [[League of Nations]], which founded commissions to investigate and eradicate the institution of slavery and slave trade worldwide. The [[Temporary Slavery Commission]] (TSC), which was founded in 1924, conducted a global investigation and filed a report, and a convention was drawn up to hasten the total abolition of slavery and the slave trade.<ref>Miers, Suzanne (2003). Slavery in the Twentieth Century: The Evolution of a Global Problem. USA: AltaMira Press, pp. 100–121</ref> 
The [[1926 Slavery Convention]], which was founded upon the investigation of the TSC of the [[League of Nations]], was a turning point in banning global slavery.

In 1932, the League formed the [[Committee of Experts on Slavery]] (CES) to review the result and enforcement of the 1926 Slavery Convention, which resulted in a new international investigation under the first permanent slavery committee, the [[Advisory Committee of Experts on Slavery]] (ACE).<ref>Miers, S. (2003). Slavery in the Twentieth Century: The Evolution of a Global Problem. Storbritannien: AltaMira Press. p. 216</ref>
The ACE conducted a major international investigation on slavery and slave trade, inspecting all the colonial empires and the territories under their control between 1934 and 1939.

Article 4 of the [[Universal Declaration of Human Rights]], adopted in 1948 by the [[UN General Assembly]], explicitly banned slavery. 
After [[World War II]], [[chattel slavery]] was formally abolished by law in almost the entire world, with the exception of the Arabian Peninsula and some parts of Africa. Chattel slavery was still legal [[slavery in Saudi Arabia|in Saudi Arabia]], [[slavery in Yemen|in Yemen]], in [[slavery in the Trucial States|the Trucial States]] and [[slavery in Oman|in Oman]], and slaves were supplied to the Arabian Peninsula via the [[Red Sea slave trade]].

When the League of Nations was succeeded by the [[United Nations]] (UN) after [[World War II]], [[Charles Wilton Wood Greenidge]] of the [[Anti-Slavery International]] worked for the UN to continue the investigation of global slavery conducted by the ACE of the League, and in February 1950 the [[Ad Hoc Committee on Slavery]] of the United Nations was inaugurated,<ref>Miers, Suzanne (2003). Slavery in the Twentieth Century: The Evolution of a Global Problem. Storbritannien: AltaMira Press, pp. 323-324</ref> which ultimately resulted in the introduction of the [[Supplementary Convention on the Abolition of Slavery]].<ref>Miers, S. (2003). Slavery in the Twentieth Century: The Evolution of a Global Problem. Storbritannien: AltaMira Press. p. 326</ref>

The [[United Nations 1956 Supplementary Convention on the Abolition of Slavery]] was convened to outlaw and ban slavery worldwide, including [[child slavery]]. 
In November 1962, [[Faisal of Saudi Arabia]] finally prohibited the owning of slaves in Saudi Arabia, followed by the abolition of [[slavery in Yemen]] in 1962, [[slavery in Dubai]] 1963 and [[slavery in Oman]] in 1970.

In December 1966, the UN General Assembly adopted the [[International Covenant on Civil and Political Rights]], which was developed from the [[Universal Declaration of Human Rights]]. Article 4 of this international treaty bans slavery. The treaty came into force in March 1976 after it had been ratified by 35 nations.

As of November 2003, 104 nations had ratified the treaty. However, illegal forced labour involves millions of people in the 21st century, 43% for sexual exploitation and 32% for economic exploitation.<ref>{{cite book|editor=David P. Forsythe|title=Encyclopedia of human rights|url=https://books.google.com/books?id=1QbX90fmCVUC&pg=RA1-PA494|year=2009|publisher=Oxford University Press|pages=494–502|isbn=978-0195334029}}</ref>

In May 2004, the 22 members of the [[Arab League]] adopted the [[Arab Charter on Human Rights]], which incorporated the 1990 [[Cairo Declaration on Human Rights in Islam]],<ref>{{cite web|title=Slavery in Islam|url=https://www.bbc.co.uk/religion/religions/islam/history/slavery_1.shtml|website=BBC.co.uk|publisher=BBC|access-date=6 October 2015}}</ref> which states:
{{Blockquote|text=Human beings are born free, and no one has the right to enslave, humiliate, oppress or exploit them, and there can be no subjugation but to God the Most-High. |source=Article 11, Cairo Declaration on Human Rights in Islam, 1990}}

Currently, the Anti-trafficking Coordination Team Initiative (ACT Team Initiative), a coordinated effort between the [[United States Department of Justice|U.S. Departments of Justice]], [[United States Department of Homeland Security|Homeland Security]], and [[United States Department of Labor|Labor]], addresses human trafficking.<ref>{{cite news|last1=McKee|first1=Caroline|title=U.S. works to fight modern-day slavery|url=http://english.alarabiya.net/en/perspective/features/2015/07/07/U-S-works-to-fight-modern-day-slavery.html|access-date=21 July 2015|date=7 July 2015}}</ref> The [[International Labour Organization]] estimates that there are 20.9 million victims of human trafficking globally, including 5.5 million children, of which 55% are women and girls.<ref>{{cite web|title=Human Trafficking|url=http://www.polarisproject.org/human-trafficking/overview|website=polarisproject.org|access-date=21 July 2015|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20150721184701/http://www.polarisproject.org/human-trafficking/overview|archive-date=21 July 2015|url-status=dead}}</ref>