The United Nations has been concerned with the question of slavery since 1949, when the General Assembly requested ECOSOC to study the problem. In the same year, ECOSOC arranged for the appointment of the Ad Hoc Committee, who reported its findings on the nature and extent of slavery and other institutions resembling slavery in 05.1951. ECOSOC subsequently requested the Secretary-General to obtain additional information on the question and report back in 1953. In 1954, ECOSOC appointed Mr. Hans Engen (Norway) as Rapporteur to prepare a concise summary of all available information on slavery and servitude. The report of the Rapporteur was presented to the Council in 1955.
At the request of the ECOSOC in resolution 960 (XXXVI) the Secretary-General appointed Mr. Mohamed Awad as Special Rapporteur on Slavery to bring up to date the Engen Report by collating existing information on slavery by governments,
The United Nations also arranged in 1953 for the drawing up of a Protocol amending the Slavery Convention of 1926 and for the preparation of a supplementary Convention on the abolition of slavery, the slave trade and institutions and practices similar to slavery. This Supplementary Convention was finalized in 09.1956.
The records relate to the work of the Division on matters related to slavery from 1956 to 1974 and include the collection of material form the Special Rapporteur, allegations of slavery and servitude, and correspondence related to the acceptance by States of the international legal instruments aimed at abolishing slavery and related practices.