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4
To these questions the Council, by its resolution of January 28th, 1932, added another— namely, the measures which the Committee might suggest to induce States which have not yet done so to ratify the Convention or to accede thereto.
*
Though the programme assigned to the Committee of Experts was thus defined, and clearly defined, the Council left the Committee to determine its own methods of work.
In this connection, the Committee of Experts first considered whether it was entitled to make use of documents sent to it direct by private persons or associations.
Interpreting the Council resolution of September 29th, 1931, in the light of the Assembly resolution of September 25th of the same year, the Committee concluded that it was only intended to examine documents supplied or transmitted by Governments.
They comprise:
(1) The documents referred to in the Assembly resolution of September 25th, 1931, and which the Council, in its resolution of January 28th, 1932, requested the Secretary- General to transmit or communicate to the Committee of Experts. They appear in the list attached to the report (Appendix A).
(2) The replies of Governments to the circular letters of November 1st, 1929, Novem- ber 7th, 1930, and October 21st, 1931,1 communicating to Governments the resolutions adopted by the Assembly at its tenth, eleventh and twelfth sessions, and inviting Governments to supply the Secretariat, not only with the documents referred to in Article 7 of the 1926 Convention, but also with any information which these Governments might be able to furnish as to the present position in regard to slavery and even such particulars, obtained from private sources, as they might see fit to communicate or to transmit concerning, not only their own territory, but also the general position at the present time in the matter of slavery. The replies have been enumerated in the list forming Appendix B to the report.
**
It remained for the Committee to decide the extent to which it might reasonably utilise infor- mation derived from documents supplied or transmitted by Governments. Should it not endeavour to ensure that if such information referred to another State it should be previously submitted, to that State ? Was it authorised in the course of its work to hear the evidence of persons or representatives of organisations whose information had been transmitted by a Government to the Council ?
On these points, the Committee decided to adhere, whenever occasion arose, to the procedure adopted by the Temporary Slavery Commission of 1924 and 1925, a procedure which was approved by the Council in its resolution of August 29th, 1924, and by the Assembly in its resolution of September 22nd of the same year.
Moreover, the report submitted to the Council on September 29th, 1931, included the sug- gestion that the Committee should bear in mind the procedure followed in 1924 by the Temporary Slavery Commission.
Consequently the Committee decided:
(1) That its meetings would not be public;
(2) That it might hear such additional explanations as it might judge necessary or useful from persons or the representatives of organisations whose written communications had been received through a Government;
(3) That, if the documentary material supplied or transmitted by a Government mentioned facts which were alleged to have occurred or to exist in the territory of another Government, and if the latter had not admitted the truth of such allegations, it would be advisable, before taking cognisance thereof, to request the Council to communicate the information to the Government under whose administration the facts were said to have occurred or to exist.
Apart from the few hours necessary for the solution of these preliminary questions, the Committee devoted the thirteen plenary meetings of its May session to a discussion of all the questions referred to it by the Council.
After ascertaining that the Committee of the Council set up to examine conditions in Liberia was also dealing with slavery questions arising in that country, this Committee decided that it need not give any attention to Liberia,
*
*
In accordance with decision No. 2 above, the Committee heard Lord Noel Buxton and Mr. Harris, the joint representatives of the "Anti-Slavery and Aborigines Protection Society' of London, who offered to furnish explanations on the reports which were received on April 8th,
1 Documents C.L.292.VI, C.L.296.1930. VI, C.L.172.1931.VI.
5
1932, and were, on May 2nd, 1932, addressed by that Association to the Council, through the British- Government.
E3
The Committee did not have occasion to resort to the procedure laid down in No. 3 above. Though the documents transmitted by one Government referred to facts alleged to have taken place, or to exist, in the territory of other Governments, the Committee has expressed no opinion upon the accuracy of the statements made. It has presented them as having the character of mere allegations, and, in the most serious cases, has taken care to cite the evidence adduced in denial of them.
***
As the preparation of the draft report to be sent to the Council required a fairly considerable amount of time, and as the other members of the Committee had to be given an opportunity to examine it before discussing it, the Committee adjourned until August 22nd, 1932, for the final revision of the report. Moreover, the Council itself had, as is shown by the Minutes of its meeting on January 28th last, contemplated the necessity of the Committee's holding two sessions.
At its second session, which was held from August 22nd to 30th, 1932, and which comprised sixteen meetings, the Committee, after discussing the draft report, adopted it in its final form.
I have the honour to transmit the report to you herewith.
*
**
In drafting its report, the Committee has followed the method adopted during the course of its discussions. The report begins with an account of the present position in regard to slavery, dealing in turn with the various aspects of slavery as defined in the Temporary Commission's report of July 25th, 1925, with the omission, as stated, of public or private compulsory labour, and the situation in Liberia. The particular advantage of this method is that it facilitates a comparison between the situation in 1924 and that existing at present.
The report therefore deals successively with the following questions:
Chapter I.
»
II.
»
III.
}}
IV,
V.
}}]]
>>
VII.
-
- Status and Legal Status of Slavery (paragraphs 1 to 15).
Slave-raiding and Similar Acts (paragraphs 16 to 24). Slave Trade (paragraphs 25 to 42).
Slave-dealing (including Transfer by Exchange, Sale, Gift, Inheritance or Occasional Sale of Persons previously Free) (paragraphs 43 to 47).
Practices Restrictive of the Liberty of the Person (paragraphs 48
to 58).
VI. - Domestic or Predial Slavery (Serfdom) (paragraphs 52 to 63).
Transition from Servile or Compulsory Labour to Free-wage Labour
and Independent Production (paragraphs 64 to 67).
Like the 1925 report, each of the chapters of the present report concludes with suggestions as to the manner in which the particular aspect of slavery referred to can best be combated. The Committee attaches special importance to those which relate to slave-raiding (paragraphs 23 and 24) and to the slave trade, especially when carried on by sea (paragraplis 34 to 42).
E
}}
The report concludes with a Chapter VIII, headed " Summary and General Suggestions After a brief summary of the preceding chapters, Chapter VIII sets forth in turn the answers to the questions which the Council put to the Committee.
To the first question namely, to what extent the 1926 Convention has been successful in putting an end to slavery, and what obstacles exist to fresh progress in this direction—the Com- mittee was of opinion that, whilst reflecting a considerable improvement, the documents supplied had not enabled it to give a definite reply (see paragraph 69).
On the second question-namely, by what methods assistance can be rendered to those States which have expressed a desire to receive it for the purpose of suppressing slavery within their territory-the Committee noted that only Liberia had asked for League assistance. As, however, the special Council Committee already mentioned had been instructed to study questions concerning that country, the Committee of Experts felt that it should refrain from any suggestions with regard to that country (see paragraph 70).
The third question is whether any modification of the existing machinery of the League would be desirable.
The Committee is of opinion:
(1) That a special Bureau should be instructed to receive and endeavour to supplement the documentary material as well as to prepare for action to be taken upon it. It has expressed the desire that the information to be furnished by Governments under Article 7 of the 1926 Convention should be supplemented by reports to the Council giving an account of the slavery position in their territories and, where appropriate, of the measures which are being taken to deal with it, the results obtained, and the obstacles in the way of further progress. (2) That a small permanent Commission would be exceedingly useful, not only to take action upon the documentary material collected by the Bureau referred to in paragraph (1)
Document A.19.1925.VI.
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