Interactive Dialogue with the Special Rapporteur on the Sale and Sexual Exploitation of Children
Statement As Delivered by Sarah Creedon
Delegation of the United States of America
Human Rights Council – 49th Session
March 10, 2022
The United States thanks the Special Rapporteur for her reporting on best practices to prevent the sale of children and implement age-appropriate care. Her report will be a useful tool for governments tackling child exploitation and providing recovery assistance to child victims and survivors.
The COVID-19 pandemic and ensuing restrictive measures have jeopardized the progress made in this area and led to an increase in the sale and sexual exploitation of children, including online sexual exploitation due – in part – to school closures and limited parental supervision.
Through ongoing education, awareness-raising, and public-private sector cooperation, organizations such as the National Center for Missing and Exploited Children in the United States used tools such as a CyberTipline to help increase reporting of online exploitation of children by almost 30% between 2019 and 2020 despite the impact of the pandemic.
The United States urges all Member States to prioritize raising awareness, protecting children, prosecuting those who sexually exploit children, and delivering comprehensive services for victims and survivors despite resource limitations caused by the pandemic.
Question: How can we ensure that the best practices you outline continue despite the challenges of the pandemic?