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: State Date signed Date ratified,acceded or succeeded Notes Principality of Albania – 1910 1910 1910 1910 1910 1910 – – – – 1993 1910 1910 – – – 1971 – 1910 1910 1910 1910 – 1910 1910 – – 2005 – – 1910 1910 – – 1910 1910 – – – 1993 1910 1910 1910 1910 – 1910 1910 –1998
Ratifications of the 1949 treaty State Date ratified,acceded or succeeded Notes 1949 1950 1998 1952 1949 1959 1949 1949 This 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. 1983 1963 1951 1993 Democratic Republic of the Congo 1962 Ratified as "Republic of the Congo". 1950 1949 1971 1949 1949 1958 1953 1950 1949 Iran 1959 1950 1952 1952 1964 1959 1975 2005 1955 1963 1965 1952 Federation of Malaya 1957 This ratification is currently in force for Malaysia. 1967 1969 1952 2006 1950 1950 1961 1949 1951 1950 2001 Ratified as the "Federal Republic of Yugoslavia". This ratification is currently in force for Serbia. 1962 1993 1981 1950 1949 This ratification is currently in force for the Russian Federation. Sri Lanka 1949 Ratified as "Ceylon". 1949 1962 This ratification is currently in force for Tanzania. 1966 1950 1949 1953 1974
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).
External links Ratifications of initial 1910 treaty. Signatories and ratifications of the 1949 amending Protocol. Ratifications of amended 1949 treaty.