IV 

109TH CONGRESS 

2D SESSION H. RES. 691 

Supporting the goals and ideals of Anti-Slavery Day. 

IN THE HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES 

FEBRUARY 16, 2006 

Mr. ENGEL (for himself, Mr. EVANS, Mrs. MALONEY, Mr. MCGOVERN, Mr. 

WEINER, Ms. JACKSON-LEE of Texas, Mr. LYNCH, Mr. MCNULTY, Mr. 

HASTINGS of Florida, Ms. SCHAKOWSKY, Mr. WEXLER, and Mr. HOLT) 

submitted the following resolution; which was referred to the Committee 

on International Relations 

RESOLUTION 

Supporting the goals and ideals of Anti-Slavery Day. 

Whereas Anti-Slavery Day is dedicated to focusing attention 

on the existence of slavery in the world today and the 

possibility of eradicating slavery; 

Whereas, in 2006, at least 27,000,000 people are enslaved 

around the world; 

Whereas the Declaration of Independence recognizes the inherent dignity and worth of all people, and states that all 

people are ‘‘created equal’’ and are ‘‘endowed by their 

Creator with certain inalienable rights’’, which includes 

the right to be free from slavery and involuntary servitude; 


cchase on PROD1PC60 with BILLS
2 

•HRES 691 IH 

Whereas the United States outlawed slavery and involuntary 

servitude in 1865, recognizing in the 13th amendment to 

the Constitution, that slavery and involuntary servitude 

are inherently evil institutions that must be abolished; 

Whereas the United States and the international community 

have repeatedly condemned slavery, involuntary servitude, 

and human trafficking through declarations, treaties, and 

United Nations resolutions and reports, including the 

Universal Declaration of Human Rights, the 1926 Slavery Convention, the 1956 Supplementary Convention on 

the Abolition of Slavery, the Slave Trade, and Institutions and Practices Similar to Slavery, the 1948 American Declaration on the Rights and Duties of Man, the 

1957 Abolition of Forced Labor Convention, the International Covenant on Civil and Political Rights, and the 

Convention Against Torture and Other Cruel, Inhuman 

or Degrading Treatment or Punishment; 

Whereas these prohibitions against slavery have achieved the 

level of customary international law and have attained 

jus cogens status, and the practice of slavery has been 

universally accepted as a crime against humanity; 

Whereas slavery is characterized by the complete control of 

one person by another using violence or the threat of violence, and by the use of economic exploitation by one person against another; 

Whereas slavery has dramatically increased worldwide in the 

past 50 years due, in part, to the tripling of the population of the world during that period, resulting in large 

numbers of poor and vulnerable people, the economic 

transformation of the developing world which has increased the susceptibility of such people to enslavement, 

and the corruption of government and police forces that 


cchase on PROD1PC60 with BILLS
3 

•HRES 691 IH 

allows violence against such people to be used with impunity even where slavery is nominally illegal; 

Whereas slavery thrives in situations of conflict, social disruption, political chaos, and economic crisis; 

Whereas the traffic in human beings is third only to the traffic in drugs and weapons in generating profits for organized crime worldwide; 

Whereas between 800,000 and 900,000 of the world’s slaves 

are estimated to be trafficked across international borders each year, of whom between 14,500 and 17,500 are 

trafficked into the United States each year; 

Whereas research indicates that slavery is present in most 

countries and that slavery affects those—especially 

women and children—who are most vulnerable and have 

less social and economic power in their communities; 

Whereas education and economic empowerment, especially of 

women and girls, have proven to be the most powerful 

preventative measures to combat slavery; 

Whereas slavery is a global crime and is integrated into the 

global economy, and it therefore requires a global approach for its eradication and increased public education 

for all citizens; 

Whereas goods made by slaves feed into the global economy 

and enter the markets of the United States in violation 

of United States laws; 

Whereas anti-slavery non-governmental organizations, labor 

organizations, consumer organizations, and United States 

industry, working with Members of Congress, have developed a multi-sector approach to eradicate slavery from 

the product supply chains of goods which prevents slavery 

from entering United States homes; 


cchase on PROD1PC60 with BILLS
4 

•HRES 691 IH 

Whereas the Office to Monitor and Combat Trafficking in 

Persons of the Department of State coordinates United 

States activities in the global fight against modern-day 

slavery; 

Whereas Ambassador John R. Miller, appointed in 2004, 

serves as the first United States Ambassador-at-Large in 

the Office to Monitor and Combat Trafficking in Persons; 

Whereas, in September 2005, the United States levied sanctions on Burma, Cambodia, Cuba, the Democratic People’s Republic of Korea, and Venezuela for failing to 

meet the minimum standards for combating human trafficking as outlined in the Trafficking Victims Protection 

Act of 2000, and determined that Ecuador, Kuwait, and 

Saudi Arabia are eligible for such sanctions; 

Whereas, on January 10, 2006, George W. Bush stated in his 

address upon signing H.R. 972, the Trafficking Victims 

Protection Reauthorization Act, that ‘‘America has a particular duty to fight this horror because human trafficking is an affront to the defining promise of our country. . . . America is a compassionate and decent nation, 

and we will not tolerate an industry that preys on the 

young and the vulnerable. The trade in human beings 

continues in our time and we are called by conscience and 

compassion to bring this cruel practice to an end.’’; 

Whereas former Attorney General John Ashcroft organized 

educational conferences for local law enforcement agents 

to recognize incidents of human trafficking when they encounter it; and 

Whereas Anti-Slavery Day will be observed on February 27, 

2006: Now, therefore, be it 


cchase on PROD1PC60 with BILLS
5 

•HRES 691 IH 

1 Resolved, That the House of Representatives— 

2 (1) supports the goals and ideals of Anti-Slav3 ery Day; 

4 (2) requests that the President issue a procla5 mation calling on the people of the United States to 

6 observe Anti-Slavery Day with appropriate cere7 monies, programs, and activities; and 

8 (3) encourages the Department of State to in9 crease cooperation with foreign governments to com10 bat slavery, provide legal protections to victims of 

11 slavery, and provide social services to assist in repa12 triation, family reunification, and exit from slavery. 

Æ 


cchase on PROD1PC60 with BILLS