The first international treaty to formally obligate signatory states to suppress slavery and the slave trade worldwide.
Key Facts
- First signed
- 25 September 1926
- Entered into force
- 9 March 1927
- Governing body
- League of Nations
- Treaty Series registration
- 9 March 1927
- Extended by
- Supplementary Convention on Abolition of Slavery, 1956
By the Numbers
Location
Cause → Event → Consequence
Persistent slave trading and slavery practices across multiple regions in the early twentieth century prompted growing international pressure. The League of Nations, established after World War I as a forum for global cooperation, was called upon to address these ongoing abuses through a binding multilateral agreement.
On 25 September 1926, member states signed the Convention to Suppress the Slave Trade and Slavery under League of Nations auspices. The treaty formally committed signatories to work toward the complete abolition of slavery in all forms and to criminalize the slave trade, entering into force on 9 March 1927.
The convention established a foundational international legal norm against slavery, which was later strengthened by the United Nations through the 1956 Supplementary Convention on the Abolition of Slavery. It laid the groundwork for subsequent human rights instruments and affirmed state responsibility for eradicating forced servitude.
Political Outcome
International treaty obligating signatory states to suppress slavery and the slave trade, entering into force in 1927 and later extended in 1956.