The Convention came into effect on 25 July 1951 and by December 2013 had been ratified by 82 states. On 2 December 1949, the United Nations General Assembly approved the Convention for the Suppression of the Traffic in Persons and of the Exploitation of the Prostitution of Others. Part of the discussion impacts on whether the operation of brothels should be legal, and if so, to what sort of regulations they should be subjected.
Around the world, attitudes towards prostitution and how and if it should be regulated vary considerably, and have varied over time.
