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Agreement for the Suppression of the Circulation of Obscene Publications

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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

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The following states ratified the 1910 treaty:

State Date signed Date ratified,
acceded or succeeded
Notes
Albania Principality of Albania
 Austria-Hungary 1910 1910
 Belgium 1910 1910
 Brazil 1910 1910
 Kingdom of Bulgaria
 Republic of China
 Czechoslovakia
 Czech Republic 1993
 Denmark 1910 1910
 Kingdom of Egypt
 Estonia
 Fiji 1971
 Finland
 French Republic 1910 1910
 German Empire 1910 1910
 Irish Free State
 Kingdom of Italy 1910 1910
 Latvia
 Liberia 2005
 Luxembourg
 Monaco
 Netherlands 1910 1910
 Norway
 Poland
 Kingdom of Portugal 1910 1910
 Kingdom of Romania
 San Marino
 Slovakia 1993
 Spain 1910 1910
  Switzerland 1910 1910
 Thailand
 United Kingdom 1910 1910
 Zimbabwe 1998

Ratifications of the 1949 treaty

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State Date ratified,
acceded or succeeded
Notes
 Australia 1949
 Austria 1950
 Belarus 1998
 Belgium 1952
 Burma 1949
 Cambodia 1959
 Canada 1949
 Republic of China 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.
 Cuba 1983
 Cyprus 1963
 Czechoslovakia 1951
 Czech Republic 1993
Democratic Republic of the Congo Democratic Republic of the Congo 1962 Ratified as "Republic of the Congo".
 Denmark 1950
 Kingdom of Egypt 1949
 Fiji 1971
 Finland 1949
 France 1949
 Ghana 1958
 Haiti 1953
 Iceland 1950
 India 1949
Iran Iran 1959
 Iraq 1950
 Ireland 1952
 Italy 1952
 Jamaica 1964
 Jordan 1959
 Lesotho 1975
 Liberia 2005
 Luxembourg 1955
 Madagascar 1963
 Malawi 1965
 Ireland 1952
Malaysia Federation of Malaya 1957 This ratification is currently in force for Malaysia.
 Malta 1967
 Mauritius 1969
 Mexico 1952
 Montenegro 2006
 Netherlands 1950
 New Zealand 1950
 Nigeria 1961
 Norway 1949
 Pakistan 1951
 Romania 1950
 Serbia and Montenegro 2001 Ratified as the "Federal Republic of Yugoslavia". This ratification is currently in force for Serbia.
 Sierra Leone 1962
 Slovakia 1993
 Solomon Islands 1981
 South Africa 1950
 Soviet Union 1949 This ratification is currently in force for the Russian Federation.
Dominion of Ceylon Sri Lanka 1949 Ratified as "Ceylon".
  Switzerland 1949
 Tanganyika 1962 This ratification is currently in force for Tanzania.
 Trinidad and Tobago 1966
 Turkey 1950
 United Kingdom 1949
 Yugoslavia 1953
 Zambia 1974

Further reading

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  • 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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