Press Release

ECPAT-USA congratulates the U.S. government and UN Committee members for a constructive and productive dialogue

New York, NY: Today, the UN Committee on the Rights of the Child called on the U.S. government to create a National Plan of Action to ensure that all children are protected from sexual exploitation and pornography.  While acknowledging that the U.S. has done quite a lot to ensure the protection of children’s rights, it points out much more can be done to ensure that child victims of sexual exploitation, both domestic and foreign, receive fair and equal treatment and services. This recommendation was part of a final report – or “Concluding Observations” – of the UN Committee in its first ever formal review of the United Statesl.

Other key recommendations to the U.S. government from the UN Committee include:

1.  Because of a “paucity of programs” aimed at preventing the purchase of children 2. Ensure better monitoring and enforcement of child prostitution  3. Promote responsible tourism to prevent sex tourism  4. Ensure that services are available for all child victims   5.  Ratification by the U.S. of the UN Convention

The complete list of Concluding Recommendations can be found at: download A delegation from the U.S. government, led by Ambassador Mark Lagon, Director of the U.S. State Department Office to Monitor and Combat Human Trafficking, met with the members of the UN Committee in Geneva, Switzerland on May 22, in fulfillment of its obligations under the Optional Protocol to the UN Convention on the Rights of the Child on the Sale of Children, Child Prostitution and Child Pornography, which the U.S. ratified in 2002. All parties to the Convention or the Optional Protocol must report periodically on their progress in implementing and enforcing the rights contained in these treaties.

The U.S. government’s session with the UN Committee provided an opportunity to assess progress in the United States on combating commercial sexual exploitation of children.  “The review process highlighted that the federal government has made considerable progress in strengthening criminal laws in this area and is working to prosecute cases aggressively, and that now similar efforts and resources must be put toward ensuring vital services for victims and in developing effective prevention programs,” noted Professor Jonathan Todres, Georgia State University College of Law, who attended the session.

In the view of ECPAT-USA’s Executive Director Carol Smolenski, “The U.S. meeting with the UN Committee produced a fruitful dialogue.  The U.S. government was able to emphasize its progress on prosecuting those who seek to exploit children.  The Committee’s members, all international child rights experts, commended the U.S. for its work to date but also emphasized that there is still more work to be done to ensure the well-being of all children.”  Other recommendations from the Committee include the need for 1) more comprehensive and systematic research, 2) public dissemination of the provisions of the Optional Protocol, especially to children and to parents, 3) education and training for professional groups, and 4) more concerted effort against the production and dissemination of child pornography.

   “This review of the U.S.’s progress comes at a most advantageous moment because the World Congress III Against  Sexual Exploitation of Children and Adolescents will take place in Brazil in November,” says Smolenski. “It will be another important moment for all the governments of the world to assess progress towards eliminating all forms of child sexual exploitation.”
   Background: The United States is the only country in the world, besides Somalia (which has no internationally recognized government), not to have ratified the UN Convention on the Rights of the Child.  However, in 2002, it did ratify the two Optional Protocols to the UN Convention: one on the Sale of Children, Child Prostitution and Child Pornography and one on Child Soldiers.  When a government signs an international human rights treaty, it agrees to carry out the steps described in the treaty and then to report to the UN Human Rights Committee that oversees it.

  In April 2007, the U.S. government sent its official report to the UN Committee describing its work to protect children from being sold, and prostituted and or exploited through pornography.  In November, a consortium of NGOs, led by ECPAT-USA sent an Alternative Report to the same Committee.  It can be read at: download
In February 2008, the UN Committee held a session to receive additional information from non-governmental representatives.  For the Optional Protocol on the Sale of Children, Child Prostitution, and Child Pornography, the UN Committee heard testimony from two representatives:  Carol Smolenski, Executive Director of ECPAT-USA, and Prof. Jonathan Todres, Georgia State University College of Law.