Resolution on Slavery and the Slave Trade

Proposed Resolution and Full Report (PDF)

At the 119th Annual Meeting Assembly held on April 17, 2025, the Society adopted a Resolution on Slavery and the Slave Trade, originally proposed by Professor Patricia Viseur Sellers and endorsed by Judge Patrick Robinson, Judge Gabrielle Kirk-McDonald, Professor Henry Richardson, Professor Adejoké Babington-Ashaye, and Professor Darin Johnson. The adoption followed more than a year’s worth of consultation with the Executive Committee and Executive Council, as mandated by the ASIL Constitution and Regulations.

The text of the resolution is as follows:

The American Society of International Law, at its 119th annual meeting in Washington, DC, on April 17, 2025, Resolves:

• Slave trade is a violation of a non-derogable human right and can constitute an international crime, including a crime against humanity and a war crime.
• Slavery is a violation of a non-derogable human right and can constitute an international crime, including a crime against humanity and a war crime.
• The prohibitions of slavery and slave trade are peremptory norms from which no derogation is permissible. Protection from slavery and slave trade is an obligation erga omnes.

Questions regarding the resolution should be forwarded to communications@asil.org with subject line “Resolution on Slavery and the Slave Trade” or simply by clicking here.

Proposed Resolution and Full Report (PDF)