OFFICE OF THE HIGH COMMISSIONER FOR
HUMAN RIGHTS
Traffic in women and girls
Commission on Human Rights resolution 1999/40
The Commission on Human Rights,
Recalling all previous resolutions on the problem of the traffic in women and girls adopted by the
General Assembly and the Commission on Human Rights, as well as the Convention for the Suppression of the
Traffic in Persons and of the Exploitation of the Prostitution of Others,
Reaffirming the provisions adopted by the World Conference on Human Rights, the International
Conference on Population and Development, the World Summit for Social Development, the Fourth World
Conference on Women and the Ninth United Nations Congress on the Prevention of Crime and the Treatment of
Offenders pertaining to the traffic in women and children,
Stressing once again the urgent need to eliminate all forms of sexual violence and trafficking, including
for prostitution, which are violations of the human rights of women and girls and are incompatible with the
dignity and worth of the human person, through the adoption of effective measures nationally, regionally and
internationally,
Welcoming the inclusion of gender-related crimes in the Rome Statute of the International Criminal
Court (A/CONF.183/9), adopted on 17 July 1998 by the United Nations Diplomatic Conference of
Plenipotentiaries on the Establishment of an International Criminal Court,
Taking note of General Assembly resolution 53/111 of 9 December 1998 in which the Assembly
decided to establish an open-ended intergovernmental ad hoc committee for the purpose of elaborating a
comprehensive international convention against transnational organized crime, including if necessary the
elaboration of an international instrument addressing trafficking in women and children,
Welcoming the work plan of the Office of the United Nations High Commissioner for Human Rights
that will give priority attention in 1999 to the issue of the traffic in women and girls, particularly for purposes of
sexual exploitation,
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