• Slavery was, in a very real sense, the first international human rights issue to come to the fore. It led to the adoption of the first human rights laws and to the creation of the first human rights non-governmenta l organization. And yet despite the efforts of the international community to combat this abhorrent practice, it is still widely prevalent in all its insidious forms, old and new.

    Kofi Annan: Slavery was, in a very real sense, the first 
 international human rights issue to come to the fore. It led to the 
 adoption of the first human rights laws and to the creation of the 
 first human rights non-governmenta l organization. And yet despite 
 the efforts of the international community to combat this abhorrent 
 practice, it is still widely prevalent in all 
 its insidious forms, old and new.