Switzerland is committed to achieving better protection of children against sexual exploitation
Berne, 09.12.2011 - Today, on 9 December, the Federal Council adopted the First Report by Switzerland on the implementation of the UN's Protocol on the Sale of Children, Child Prostitution and Child Pornography. The report concludes that Switzerland fully meets the requirements of the Protocol, which was ratified in 2006, and makes substantial efforts to ensure the protection of children from sale, prostitution and pornography.
Switzerland's first country report provides an overview of Switzerland's current situation in the areas covered by the Protocol. In recent years, several legislative amendments have been passed to ensure better protection of children who are victims of a criminal offence. In addition, a number of large-scale and internationally coordinated police operations against child pornography and the sexual exploitation of children have been carried out. Moreover, training and prevention programmes have been launched at various levels and counselling services for children have been expanded.
With the activities of the Swiss Agency for Development and Cooperation (SDC) in the areas of development cooperation, assistance to Eastern Europe, humanitarian assistance and other forms of international cooperation, Switzerland is also helping abroad to eliminate the main factors that make children vulnerable to human trafficking, prostitution and sex tourism.
The country report was drafted on the basis of consultations among various federal offices and questions sent to the cantons, conferences of cantonal directors, and interested organisations. It can be downloaded from the website of the Federal Department of Foreign Affairs (FDFA).
On 25 May 2000, the UN General Assembly adopted the Optional Protocol on the Sale of Children, Child Prostitution and Child pornography. It supplements the Convention on the Rights of the Child and aims to achieve better protection of children against sexual exploitation. Switzerland ratified the Protocol on 19 September 2006 and put it into effect on 19 October 2006. To date, it has been ratified by 151 States.
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