CYIL 2012

MODERN SLAVERY AND CURRENT INTERNATIONAL LAW

MODERN SLAVERY AND CURRENT INTERNATIONAL LAW

Jana Ondrovičová

Abstract: This article deals with the issue of modern slavery that even at the start of the 21st century still exists, although the most people know that it is illegal to buy or sell another human being anywhere in the world and therefore assume that slavery no longer exists. Yet, despite the fact that there is international agreement that slavery should be prohibited and eradicated in all its forms, many milions of people continue to live in slavery. The article describes differences between historical slavery and modern slavery, and; explains what can be understood as modern slavery as well as its forms;, then it looks at the legal documents adopted at the international level, as well as the practical point of view as it is reflected at the international and national levels. Resumé: Tento článek pojednává o problematice moderního otroctví, které je i na počátku 21. století pořád existujícím jevem, byť kupovat nebo prodávat lidskou bytost je protiprávní kdekoliv na světe. Řada lidí se přesto domnívá, že otroctví už neexistuje. Článek popisuje rozdíly mezi tradičním a moderním otroctvím; nejdříve uvádí, co možno chápat pod pojmem moderní otroctví a jeho formami, poté se za měřuje na dokumenty přijaté na mezinárodní úrovni a na pohled praktického řešení zmíněné problematiky tak na mezinárodní jako i na národní úrovni. Key words: Slavery, Modern Slavery, Forced Labour, Involuntary domestic servitude, Child soldiers, Sex trafficking, Bonded labour, Inherit debt, Forced marriages, UN Special Rapporteur on Contemporary Forms of Slavery On the Author: Mgr. Jana Ondrovičová (born in 1984) comes from the Slovak Republic. She completed her master studies at the Law Faculty of Comenius University in Bratislava in 2007. Since 2008 she has studied for a Ph.D. at Charles University Law School in Prague, Czech Republic. Currently, she is in the second year of doctoral degree studies. Within the Ph.D. program she focuses mainly on the Law of Armed Conflicts, and International Humanitarian Law itself. She is a member of Czech Society of International Law as well as Slovak Society of

International Law. 1. Introduction

Millions of men, women and children around the world are forced to lead lives as slaves. Although this exploitation is often not called slavery, the conditions are the same. People are sold like objects, forced to work for little or no pay and are at the mercy of their “employers”. Slavery exists today despite the fact that it is banned in

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