# International Agreement for the Suppression of the White Slave Traffic

The International Agreement for the suppression of the White Slave Traffic is a series of anti–human trafficking treaties, the first of which was first negotiated in Paris in 1904. It was one of the first multilateral treaties to address issues of slavery and human trafficking. Warning: template has been deprecated.
At the time, "white slavery" was used as a euphemism for sexual slavery and trafficking in the Western world. This is the official United States government translation published in the first volume of the United States Treaty Series (1776-1949) compiled by Charles Irving Bevans.
SUPPRESSION OF WHITE SLAVE TRAFFIC
* Agreement and procès-verbal of signature signed at Paris May 18, 1904
* Ratifications deposited at Paris January 18, 1905
* Senate advice and consent to adherence March 1, 1905
* Adherence declared by the President of the United States June 6, 1908
* Entered into force July 18, 1905; for the United States June 6, 1908
* Proclaimed by the President of the United States June 15, 1908
* Amended by protocol of May 4, 1949
35 Stat. 1979; Treaty Series 496
[TRANSLATION]
Agreement
His Majesty the German Emperor, King of Prussia, in the name of the German Empire; His Majesty the King of the Belgians; His Majesty the King of Denmark; His Majesty the King of Spain; the President of the French Republic; His Majesty the King of the United Kingdom of Great Britain and Ireland and of the British Dominions beyond the Seas, Emperor of India; His Majesty the King of Italy; Her Majesty the Queen of the Netherlands; His Majesty the King of Portugal and of the Algarves; His Majesty the Emperor of All the Russias; His Majesty the King of Sweden and Norway, and the Swiss Federal Council, being desirous to assure to women who have attained their majority and are subjected to deception or constraint, as well as minor women and girls, an efficacious protection against the criminal traffic known under the name of trade in white women ("Traite des Blanches,") have resolved to conclude an arrangement with a view to concert ​proper measures to attain this purpose and have appointed as their Plenipotentiaries, that is to say:
The President of the French Republic: His Excellency M. Th. Delcassé, Deputy, Minister for Foreign Affairs of the French Republic;
His Majesty the German Emperor, King of Prussia: His Serene Highness Prince Radolin, his Ambassador Extraordinary and Plenipotentiary to the President of the French Republic;
His Majesty the King of the Belgians: M. A. Leghait, his Envoy Extraordinary and Minister Plenipotentiary to the President of the French Republic;
His Majesty the King of Denmark: Count F. Reventlow, his Envoy Extraordinary and Minister Plenipotentiary to the President of the French Republic;
His Majesty the King of Spain: His Excellency M. F. de Léon y Castillo, Marquis del Muni, his Ambassador Extraordinary and Plenipotentiary to the President of the French Republic;
His Majesty the King of the United Kingdom of Great Britain and Ireland and of the British Dominions beyond the Seas, Emperor of India: His Excellency Sir Edmund Monson, his Ambassador Extraordinary and Plenipotentiary to the President of the French Republic;
His Majesty the King of Italy: His Excellency Count Tornielli Brusati di Vergano, his Ambassador Extraordinary and Plenipotentiary to the President of the French Republic;
Her Majesty the Queen of the Netherlands: M. le Chevalier de Stuers, her Envoy Extraordinary and Minister Plenipotentiary to the President of the French Republic;
His Majesty the King of Portugal and of the Algarves: M. T. de Souza-Roza, his Envoy Extraordinary and Minister Plenipotentiary to the President of the French Republic;
His Majesty the Emperor of All the Russias: His Excellency M. de Nelidow, his Ambassador Extraordinary and Plenipotentiary to the President of the French Republic;
His Majesty the King of Sweden and Norway: For Sweden and for Norway, M. Åkerman, his Envoy Extraordinary and Minister Plenipotentiary to the President of the French Republic;
​And the Swiss Federal Council: M. Charles-Edouard Lardy, Envoy Extraordinary and Minister Plenipotentiary of the Swiss Confederation to the President of the French Republic;
Who, having exchanged their full powers, found in good and due form, have agreed upon the following provisions:
Article 1
Each of the Contracting Governments agrees to establish or designate an authority who will be directed to centralize all information concerning the procuration of women or girls with a view to their debauchery in a foreign country; that authority shall have the right to correspond directly with the similar service established in each of the other Contracting States.
Art. 2
Each of the Governments agrees to exercise a supervision for the purpose of seeking, particularly in the stations, harbors of embarkation and on the journey, the conductors of women or girls intended for debauchery. Instructions shall be sent for that purpose to the officials or to any other qualified persons, in order to procure, within the limits of the laws, all information of a nature to discover a criminal traffic.
The arrival of persons appearing evidently to be the authors, the accomplices or the victims of such a traffic will be notified, in each case, either to the authorities of the place of destination or to the interested diplomatic or consular agents, or to any other competent authorities.
Art. 3
The Governments agree to receive, in each case, within the limits of the laws, the declarations of women and girls of foreign nationality who surrender themselves to prostitution, with a view to establish their identity and their civil status and to ascertain who has induced them to leave their country. The information received will be communicated to the authorities of the country of origin of the said women or girls, with a view to their eventual return.
The Governments agree, within the limits of the laws and as far as possible, to confide temporarily and with a view to their eventual return, the victims of criminal traffic, when they are without any resources, to some institutions of public or private charity or to private individuals furnishing the necessary guaranties.
The Governments agree also, within the limits of the laws and as far as possible, to return to their country of origin such of those women or girls who ask their return or who may be claimed by persons having authority over them. Return will be made only after reaching an understanding as to their ​identity and nationality, as well to the place and date of their arrival at the frontiers.—Each of the Contracting Parties will facilitate the transit on his territory.
The correspondence relative to the return will be made, as far as possible, through the direct channel.
Art. 4
In case the woman or girl to be sent back can not herself pay the expenses of her transportation and she has neither husband, nor relations, nor guardian to pay for her the expenses occasioned by her return, they shall be borne by the country on the territory of which she resides as far as the nearest frontier or port of embarkation in the direction of the country of origin,—and by the country of origin for the remainder.
Art. 5
The provisions of the above articles 3 and 4 shall not infringe upon the provisions of special conventions which may exist between the contracting Governments.
Art. 6
The contracting Governments agree, within the limits of the laws, to exercise, as far as possible, a supervision over the bureaux or agencies which occupy themselves with finding places for women or girls in foreign countries.
Art. 7
The non-signatory States are admitted to adhere to the present arrangement. For this purpose, they shall notify their intention, through the diplomatic channel, to the French Government, which shall inform all the contracting States.
Art. 8
The present arrangement shall take effect six months after the date of the exchange of ratifications. In case one of the Contracting Parties shall denounce it, that denunciation shall take effect only as regards that Party and then twelve months only from the date of the day of the said denunciation.
Art. 9
The present arrangement shall be ratified and the ratifications shall be exchanged at Paris, as soon as possible.
In faith whereof, the respective Plenipotentiaries have signed the present arrangement, and thereunto affixed their seals.
Done at Paris, May 18, 1904, in single copy, which shall be deposited in the archives of the Ministry of Foreign Affairs of the French Republic, and of which one copy, certified correct, shall be sent to each Contracting Party. ​
* [For France:] Delcassé[seal]
* [For Germany:] Radolin[seal]
* [For Belgium:] A. Leghait[seal]
* [For Denmark:] F. Reventlow[seal]
* [For Spain:] F. de Leon y Castillo[seal]
* [For the United Kingdom:] Edmund Monson[seal]
* [For Italy:] G. Tornielli[seal]
* [For the Netherlands:] A. de Stuers[seal]
* [For Portugal:] T. de Souza Roza[seal]
* [For Russia:] Nedilow[seal]
* [For Sweden and Norway:] The Minister of Sweden and Norway, Åkerman[seal]
* [For Switzerland:] Lardy[seal]
Procès-Verbal of Signature
The undersigned Plenipotentiaries, assembled this day for the purpose of proceeding to the signature of the Agreement intended to secure effective protection against the "White Slave Traffic," have exchanged the following Declaration respecting the application of the said Agreement to the respective Colonies of the Contracting States:—
Article 1
The countries signatories of the Agreement have the right to accede thereto at any time for their Colonies or foreign possessions.
They may do this either by a general Declaration comprehending all their Colonies or possessions within the accession, or by specially naming those comprised therein, or by simply indicating those which are excluded.
Article 2
* The Government of His Britannic Majesty declare that they reserve the right to accede to the Agreement, and to denounce it for each of the British Colonies or possessions.
* The German Government declare that they reserve their decisions on the subject of their Colonies.
* The Danish Government declare that they reserve the right to accede to the Agreement for the Danish Colonies.
* The Spanish Government declare that they reserve their decisions on the subject of their Colonies.
* The French Government declare that the Agreement shall apply to all French Colonies.
* The Italian Government declare that the Agreement shall apply to the Colony of Erythræa.
* The Netherland Government declare that the Agreement shall apply to all the Netherland Colonies. ​
* The Portuguese Government declare that they reserve the right to decide subsequently whether the Agreement shall be put in force in any of the Portuguese Colonies.
* The Russian Government declare that the Agreement shall be applicable in its integrity to all the territory of the Empire in Europe and in Asia.
Article 3
Any Governments who may subsequently have declarations to make on the subject of their Colonies shall make them in the form provided in Article 7 of the Agreement.
At the moment of proceeding to the signature of the Agreement, his Serene Highness Prince Radolin, Ambassador of Germany, desires, in the name of his Government, to make the following declaration:—
In the view of the German Government, the Rules which may exist between the German Empire and the country of origin respecting the mutual assistance of paupers are not applicable to persons who are repatriated in virtue of the present Agreement on their way through Germany.
In faith whereof Plenipotentiaries have signed this procès-verbal. Done at Paris, May 18, 1904.
* Edmund Monson
* Radolin
* A. Leghalt
* F. Reventlow
* F. de Leon y Castillo
* Delcassé
* G. Tornielli
* A. de Stuers
* T. de Souza Roza
* Nedilow
* Åkerman
* Lardy
* ↑ A procès-verbal of deposit of ratifications dated at Paris Jan. 18, 1905, provided for an extension of time for deposit of ratifications by Belgium, the Netherlands, and Portugal, the only signatories not depositing ratifications on Jan. 18, 1905; for text, see 1 LNTS 91.
* ↑ The Senate resolution gave advice and consent to a project of arrangement adopted on July 25, 1902, which was confirmed word for word, and without change, by the formal agreement of May 18, 1904.
* ↑ 2 UST 1997; TIAS 2332. For intervening conventions of May 4, 1910, Sept. 30, 1921, and Oct. 11, 1933, relating to suppression of traffic in women and children, to none of which the United States became a party, see British and Foreign State Papers, vol. 103, p. 244, 9 LNTS 415, and 150 LNTS 431, respectively.
Footnotes
This work is in the public domain in the United States because it is a work of the United States federal government (see 17 U.S.C. 105).
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