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Agreement for the Suppression of the Circulation of Obscene Publications

Multilateral anti-pornography treaty From Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia

The Agreement for the Suppression of the Circulation of Obscene Publications is a multilateral anti-pornography treaty that was initially negotiated and concluded in Paris in 1910. It was amended by a 1949 Protocol. As of 2013, the treaty has 57 state parties.

The treaty was concluded on 4 May 1910 in Paris and was initially entitled the Agreement for the Repression of Obscene Publications. The treaty was initially agreed to by a number of states, including France, Germany, Austria-Hungary, Russia, and Great Britain. Through the treaty, the states agreed to designate a government authority tasked with sharing with the other states information regarding obscenity offences "where the various acts constituting the offence have taken place in different countries". The treaty applied to "obscene writings, designs, pictures or objects". In 1923, states agreed to criminalise the creation, distribution, and trade of obscene works via the Convention for the Suppression of the Circulation of and Traffic in Obscene Publications.

In 1948, the United Nations General Assembly agreed to a Protocol which would amend the 1910 treaty. On 4 May 1949 at Lake Success, New York, the Protocol was signed by a number of states. Ultimately, the Protocol was ratified by 35 states, which caused the revised treaty to come into force on 1 March 1950. One of the changes made by the Protocol was the name of the treaty. As of 2013, the 1949 version of the treaty remains in force and has 57 state parties.

Signatures and ratifications of the 1910 treaty

The following states ratified the 1910 treaty:

More information State, Date signed ...
StateDate signedDate ratified,
acceded or succeeded
Notes
Albania Principality of Albania
Austria-Hungary19101910
Belgium19101910
Brazil19101910
Kingdom of Bulgaria
Republic of China
Czechoslovakia
Czech Republic1993
Denmark19101910
Kingdom of Egypt
Estonia
Fiji1971
Finland
 French Republic19101910
German Empire19101910
Irish Free State
Kingdom of Italy19101910
Latvia
Liberia2005
Luxembourg
Monaco
Netherlands19101910
Norway
 Poland
Kingdom of Portugal19101910
Kingdom of Romania
San Marino
Slovakia1993
 Spain19101910
 Switzerland19101910
Thailand
United Kingdom19101910
Zimbabwe1998
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Ratifications of the 1949 treaty

More information State, Date ratified, acceded or succeeded ...
StateDate ratified,
acceded or succeeded
Notes
Australia1949
Austria1950
Belarus1998
Belgium1952
Burma1949
Cambodia1959
Canada1949
Republic of China1949This ratification is currently in force for the People's Republic of China. Upon resuming the exercise of sovereignty over Hong Kong in 1997, the China declared that the agreement would continue to be in force in Hong Kong.
Cuba1983
Cyprus1963
Czechoslovakia1951
Czech Republic1993
Democratic Republic of the Congo Democratic Republic of the Congo1962Ratified as "Republic of the Congo".
Denmark1950
Kingdom of Egypt1949
Fiji1971
Finland1949
 France1949
Ghana1958
 Haiti1953
Iceland1950
India1949
Iran Iran1959
Iraq1950
Ireland1952
Italy1952
Jamaica1964
Jordan1959
Lesotho1975
Liberia2005
Luxembourg1955
Madagascar1963
Malawi1965
Ireland1952
Malaysia Federation of Malaya1957This ratification is currently in force for Malaysia.
Malta1967
Mauritius1969
Mexico1952
Montenegro2006
Netherlands1950
New Zealand1950
Nigeria1961
Norway1949
Pakistan1951
Romania1950
Serbia and Montenegro2001Ratified as the "Federal Republic of Yugoslavia". This ratification is currently in force for Serbia.
Sierra Leone1962
Slovakia1993
Solomon Islands1981
South Africa1950
Soviet Union1949This ratification is currently in force for the Russian Federation.
Dominion of Ceylon Sri Lanka1949Ratified as "Ceylon".
 Switzerland1949
 Tanganyika1962This ratification is currently in force for Tanzania.
Trinidad and Tobago1966
Turkey1950
United Kingdom1949
Yugoslavia1953
Zambia1974
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Further reading

  • Perry, Stuart. The Indecent Publication Tribunal: A Social Experiment. With Text of the Legislation Since 1910 and Classifications of the Tribunal (Whicombe and Tombs, 1965).

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