I move:—
"Go gceaduíonn an Dáil an Convensiún Eadarnáisiúnta d'fhonn Deire do chur le Daoirse agus leis an Trádáil i nDaoir do sighníodh i nGeneva ar an 25adh lá de Mheán Fhomhair, 1926, agus dar leagadh cóip ar Bhord na Dála ar an 7adh lá de Bhealtaine, 1930, agus go molann don Ard-Chomhairle gach ní is gá do dhéanamh chun aontú leis an gConvensiún Eadarnáisiúnta san."
"That the Dáil approves of the International Convention with the object of securing the Abolition of Slavery and the Slave Trade, signed at Geneva on the 25th day of September, 1926, a copy of which was laid on the Table of the Dáil on the 7th day of May, 1930, and recommends the Executive Council to take the necessary steps to accede to the said International Convention."
This is one of the conventions in which we have no direct interest. In fact, the decision was taken to bring a convention of this sort before the House because at this year's Assembly one of the Swiss delegates happened, at one of the meetings, to point out the position of his country in relation to two items, and asked if it would be considered desirable that a country which was clearly obeying the convention should formally ratify all the things ing the general application of the Committee, when that question was raised, was to the effect that the accession of a country like Switzerland, although clearly it was accepting the obligations, and clearly not, therefore, directly concerned in passing anything of the sort, would be a big moral asset towards ensuring the general application of the convention and, with that in view, we bring this Convention forward here.
The Convention itself is a marked advance on anything done previously because it deals with the suppression of slavery as a domestic institution. There have been conventions and resolutions up to date which simply contained a vague pledge with regard to the suppression of slavery. This deals with the suppression of slavery as a domestic institution and, therefore, allows nations to affect in whatever way they may think desirable countries which have slavery, or analogous conditions, as a domestic institution. Up to date, the effect of the Conventions has been merely to deal with traffic in slavery —the sale of slaves from one country to another.
There is a peculiar point on Article V. which deals with forced labour, which may seem to be a little bit of retrogression. There is the recognition there that compulsory or forced labour may be exacted for public purposes. There is an extension of what may be considered the retrogression in a further paragraph which recites the territories in which compulsory or forced labour for other than public purposes still survives, but then the pledge follows by which the contracting parties endeavour progressively, and as soon as possible, to put an end to the practice. Even though it may be complained that this marks a point even more out of date than the practice of ordinary, civilised nations, still it is a good thing to have some definite obligation with reference to forced labour. Of course, it is recognised that the majority of countries are very far beyond the minimum limitations set out here. It is recognised that they are minimum limitations.
