An informal Conference of Ministers responsible for children’s rights was held in Valletta on Tuesday 1 July to mark the 15th anniversary of the Lanzarote Convention, which remains “the only legally binding treaty dedicated to protecting children from sexual exploitation and abuse”, said Alain Berset, Secretary General of the Council of Europe.
“The threats have changed [since the Convention came into force in 2010, editor’s note], but our responsibility has not. We must close the gap between law and practice, with the urgency our children deserve”.
Stressing the importance of a preventive and public health approach, the Secretary General also spoke of new and rapidly evolving challenges, such as AI.
“Technology must be regulated and used to combat, not facilitate, sexual violence”, he said.
In their final declaration, the ministers reaffirmed their commitment to breaking the taboos surrounding sexual violence against children and to combating impunity for perpetrators of such violence. The ministers also undertook to promote effective monitoring of people working with children, to guarantee children’s access to reporting mechanisms and to provide more effective responses to the risks that exist online, particularly those arising from new technologies. (Original version in French by Véronique Leblanc)