Zero Tolerance towards Sexual Exploitation of Children

From 25-28 November, the 3rd World Congress Against Sexual Exploitation Of Children & Adolescents will see Heads of State, government officials, experts and thousands of activists renew global commitments and move forward the global agenda to stop the sexual exploitation of children and adolescents. The previous two Congresses took place in Stockholm in Sweden (1996) and Yokohama in Japan (2001).

The European Union can play a crucial role in contributing towards ending all forms of sexual exploitation of children, inside and outside the EU borders.

Plan EU Office therefore calls upon the European Union to show Zero Tolerance towards Sexual Exploitation of Children. Specifically we urge the EU to:

1) promote an integrated and multi-actor approach to end this menace. Law enforcement bodies alone cannot solve this gigantic problem. The solution lies in the coordinated and joint action between the state actors, civil society organizations, private sector, media, communities and children themselves. Similarly inter-sectoral collaboration must be promoted for example by linking universal birth registration interventions with prevention and response work on sexual exploitation, etc.

2) ensure the implementation of the international human rights conventions and commitments. Instruments such as the UN Convention on the Rights of the Child (CRC) and its optional protocols and the recommendations of the UN Violence Against Children Study must be implemented by the EU Member States themselves. Furthermore the EU must promote and support their implementation by its partner countries. Ensuring protection of child victims in all cases must be at the forefront including using child-friendly procedures in the judicial system, offering psycho-social support to children etc.

3) promote specific and tailor-made interventions for affected girl children. Numerous studies and research show that the girl children are especially vulnerable and need tailor-made interventions before, during and after being a part of this vicious cycle. These range from girl-sensitive awareness raising and other preventive measures to offering girl victims girl-specific psycho-social support and re-integration interventions

4) address specifically sexual violence and exploitation at schools. Sexual favours in exchange for good marks and transactional sex to pay for school fees is one of the most common forms of sexual exploitation in many parts of the world. This is also one of the major factors contributing to school drop out and thus must be urgently addressed.

Plan Europe is a regional network within Plan International which links the 10 Plan national organisations in European Union (EU) member states, and our program country offices around the world, with our EU liaison office in Brussels.