Rectifying the Rome Statute and Draft Articles on Prevention and Punishment of Crimes Against Humanity to Include the Slave Trade

The slave trade is commonly misperceived as a historical crime. Yet, the scourge of the slave trade is present throughout the world today. Combatting these ongoing atrocity crimes is essential to ensure that human rights are upheld by the international community. The crime of the slave trade fills an impunity gap, especially in light of recentharms perpetuated by the Islamic State of Iraq and Syria (ISIS) against the Yazidi in Iraq. Revitalization of the conceptualization of the slave trade as a crime under international law might ensure greater enforcement of one of the oldest core international crimes. Critical proposed amendments to existing international treaty law must be adopted with haste to close an unconscionable factual and legal gap in the international legal architecture. New proposals on the table now provide an opportunity to do so. This unique moment must be seized.