For the purposes of this Agreement, it is understood that:

1 °

Slavery is the state or condition of an individual on which the attributes of the right of ownership or some of them are exercised;

2 °

The slave trade includes any act of capture, acquisition or assignment of an individual for the purpose of enslavement; any act of acquisition of a slave for sale or exchange; any deed of sale by way of sale or exchange of a slave Slave acquired for sale or exchange, as well as in general, any act of trade or transport of slaves.

The High Contracting Parties undertake, as they have not already taken the necessary measures, and each in respect of the territories under its sovereignty, jurisdiction, protection, suzerainty or guardianship:

(a)

To prevent and suppress the slave trade;

(b)

To continue the complete abolition of slavery in all its forms, in a progressive manner and as soon as possible.

The High Contracting Parties undertake to take all necessary measures to prevent and suppress the embarkation, disembarkation and transport of slaves in their territorial waters, as well as in general on all ships bearing their Respective flags.

The High Contracting Parties undertake to negotiate, as soon as possible, a general convention on the slave trade giving them rights and imposing obligations of the same nature as those laid down in the Convention of 17 June 1925 ¹ Concerning the international arms trade (Articles 12, 20, 21, 22, 23, 24 and paragraphs 3, 4, 5 of Section II of Annex II), subject to the necessary adaptations, on the understanding that the General Convention shall not place vessels (even of Small tonnage) of none of the high Contracting Parties in a position other than those of the other High Contracting Parties.

It is also understood that, both before and after the entry into force of the said General Convention, the High Contracting Parties retain any freedom to enter between them, without, however, derogating from the principles laid down in the preceding paragraph, such as Special arrangements that, because of their special circumstances, would be appropriate to arrive at the total disappearance of trafficking as quickly as possible.

The high contracting parties would assist each other to achieve the abolition of slavery and the slave trade. ¹

The High Contracting Parties recognize that the use of forced or compulsory labour may have serious consequences and undertake, each with regard to the territories subject to its sovereignty, jurisdiction, protection, suzerainty or To take appropriate measures to prevent forced or compulsory labour from leading to slavery-like conditions.

It is understood that:

1 °

That, subject to the transitional provisions set out in paragraph 2 below, forced or compulsory labour may be required only for public purposes,

2 °

That, in the territories where forced or compulsory labour, for other purposes than for public purposes, still exists, the high contracting parties shall endeavour to put a gradual end to it, as soon as possible, and that, as long as this Forced or compulsory labour will exist, will only be used on an exceptional basis, against adequate remuneration and on condition that a change in the usual place of residence cannot be imposed;

3 °

And that, in all cases, the competent central authorities of the territory concerned will assume responsibility for the use of forced or compulsory labour.

The High Contracting Parties whose legislation is not, at present, sufficient to suppress infringements of the laws and regulations published to give effect to the purposes of this Convention, undertake to take the necessary measures To ensure that these offences are punished with severe penalties.

The High Contracting Parties undertake to communicate with each other and to communicate to the Secretary-General of the United Nations ¹ The laws and regulations that they will enact for the purposes of the provisions of this Agreement.

The High Contracting Parties agree that all disputes which may arise between them concerning the interpretation or application of this Agreement shall be, if they cannot be resolved through direct negotiations, sent out For decision to the International Court of Justice ¹ If the States between which a dispute arises, or one of them, were not parties to the Statute of the International Court of Justice ^{2 3} , this dispute shall be submitted, at their discretion, and in accordance with the constitutional rules of each of them, or the International Court of Justice ⁴ , or to an arbitration tribunal established pursuant to the Convention of 18 October 1907 ⁵ For the peaceful settlement of international disputes, or any other arbitration tribunal.

Each of the High Contracting Parties may declare, either at the time of signature or at the time of its ratification or accession, that, in respect of the application of the provisions of this Convention or some of the Their acceptance does not involve either the whole or the territories under its sovereignty, jurisdiction, protection, suzerainty or guardianship, and may subsequently accede separately, in whole or in part, to the name of any one Of them.

If one of the high contracting parties may denounce this Convention, the denunciation shall be notified in writing to the Secretary-General of the United Nations ¹ , which shall immediately communicate a certified copy of the notification to all the other High Contracting Parties, by making them aware of the date on which it has received it.

The denunciation shall have effect only in respect of the State which will have it, notified, and one year after the notification has been received by the Secretary-General of the United Nations ² .

Denunciation may also be made separately for any territory under its sovereignty, jurisdiction, protection, suzerainty or guardianship.

This Convention, which shall bear the date of this day and whose French and English texts will also be authentic, shall remain open until 1 ^Er April 1927 at the signature of the member states of the League of Nations.

This Convention shall be open for accession by all States, including non-member States of the United Nations, to which the Secretary-General has communicated a certified copy of the Convention. ¹

Accession shall be effected by the deposit of a formal instrument with the Secretary-General of the United Nations, who shall notify all States Parties to the Convention and all other States referred to in this Article by indicating The date on which each of these instruments of accession was deposited. ²

This Convention shall be ratified and the instruments of ratification shall be deposited in the office of the Secretary-General of the United Nations ¹ , which will notify them to the High Contracting Parties.

The Convention will have effect for each State as of the date of the deposit of its ratification or accession.

In witness whereof, The Plenipotentiaries shall bear this Convention of their signature.

Done at Geneva on September 25, twenty-six thousand nine hundred and twenty-six, in a single copy, which shall remain deposited in the archives of the League of Nations ² , and a certified copy shall be given to each of the signatory States.

(Suivent signatures)