Where slavery exists, human dignity itself is denied, and brings shame to all who claim to be compassionate or committed to the weak and vulnerable of our world. Human rights are nothing if not the insistence on freedom from bondage and coercion in all aspects of life. And yet, on the threshold of a new millennium, we still find the old and, sadly, also new forms of slavery. Hundreds of thousands of people the world over live and die as slaves in one form or another.
Where slavery exists, human dignity itself is denied…
By Kofi Annan