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Refugees, Health, Slavery, Working Conditions 2

History: Cambridge International GCSE The Twentieth Century (Option B), topic 2.3.2

International Efforts on Refugees, Health, Slavery, and Work

This topic reviews international commissions from 1920-1940 addressing refugees, health, slavery, and working conditions through data, actions, and reforms.

The Commission for refugees

The Commission for refugees

  • The League of Nations created the Commission for Refugees in 1921 to help displaced people after World War I.
  • The Commission assisted over 1 million refugees to return home or resettle by 1930.
  • The Commission helped Armenian and Assyrian refugees after the Ottoman Empire's collapse.
  • Fridtjof Nansen led efforts and created the 'Nansen passport' in 1922 for stateless refugees.
The Health Organisation

The Health Organisation

  • The Health Organisation started in 1920 to control diseases worldwide and improve public health.
  • The Health Organisation fought diseases like malaria, tuberculosis, and smallpox through campaigns.
  • By 1935, the Health Organisation helped countries set up public health systems and shared medical knowledge.
  • The Health Organisation collected global health data to prevent pandemics.
ILO

ILO

  • The International Labour Organisation (ILO) was formed in 1919 to improve working conditions and promote workers' rights globally.
  • The ILO set standards like limiting child labour and protecting women workers by the 1930s.
  • The ILO used conventions to encourage countries to reform labour laws.
  • The ILO gathered working conditions data to monitor progress.
The Slavery Commission

The Slavery Commission

  • The League of Nations created the Slavery Commission in 1924 to end slavery and forced labour.
  • The Slavery Commission worked to abolish slavery in colonies in Africa and Asia.
  • The Commission published reports showing millions still lived in slavery during the 1930s.
  • The Commission pressured countries to pass anti-slavery laws and support freed slaves.
Impact and challenges

Impact and challenges

  • The Commissions greatly improved refugee welfare, health, labour, and slavery issues in the 1920s-30s.
  • The League of Nations helped coordinate countries' actions but faced resistance from some states.
  • The economic crisis of 1929 limited funding and slowed progress in many commissions.
  • Despite challenges, commissions laid foundations for future international cooperation after 1945.
Key figures and dates

Key figures and dates

  • Fridtjof Nansen, head of the Refugee Commission, won the Nobel Peace Prize in 1922.
  • The Health Organisation was active from 1920 until it became part of the WHO in 1946.
  • The ILO remains active today, founded in 1919 and now part of the UN.
  • The Slavery Commission operated mainly in the 1920s-1930s under the League of Nations.

Test yourself on Refugees, Health, Slavery, Working Conditions 2

  • Who led the League's refugee work and introduced a special passport?

  • What did the Slavery Commission aim to abolish?

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