Child protection from violence, exploitation and abuse

Child sexual exploitation

The World Congress III Against the Sexual Exploitation of Children – which is taking place 25-28 November in Rio Centro, Rio de Janeiro, Brazil – gathers together nearly 3,000 people from five continents, 300 of whom are adolescents.

The Congress is organized by the Brazilian Government (coordinated by the Special Secretariat for Human Rights, in partnership with the Ministries of Tourism, of Social Development and Fight against Hunger, and of Foreign Affairs), along with the organization End Child Prostitution, Child Pornography and Trafficking of Children for Sexual Purposes (ECPAT), UNICEF and by the NGO Group for the Convention on the Rights of the Child.

Throughout the three-day event, there will be workshops and intensive discussions around five key areas:

Forms of commercial sexual exploitation and its new scenarios
Legal framework and accountability
Integrated cross-sector policies
Initiatives of social responsibility
And strategies for international cooperation.

The Brazilian Government, UNICEF and the other partners involved in the Congress see it as being practical, solution-driven and innovative; promoting a genuine dialogue and exchange of good practices; setting practical targets; and fostering new cooperation between governments, civil society and the private sector.

The Congress affords an opportunity to broaden alliances, address new challenges and promote international cooperation for more effective prevention and response to sexual exploitation.