Agreement for the Suppression of the Circulation of Obscene Publications

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:

StateDate signedDate ratified,
acceded or succeeded
Notes
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

Ratifications of the 1949 treaty

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 Congo1962Ratified as "Republic of the Congo".
 Denmark1950
 Kingdom of Egypt1949
 Fiji1971
 Finland1949
 France1949
 Ghana1958
 Haiti1953
 Iceland1950
 India1949
Iran1959
 Iraq1950
 Ireland1952
 Italy1952
 Jamaica1964
 Jordan1959
 Lesotho1975
 Liberia2005
 Luxembourg1955
 Madagascar1963
 Malawi1965
 Ireland1952
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.
Sri Lanka1949Ratified as "Ceylon".
  Switzerland1949
 Tanganyika1962This ratification is currently in force for Tanzania.
 Trinidad and Tobago1966
 Turkey1950
 United Kingdom1949
 Yugoslavia1953
 Zambia1974

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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