GLOBAL SUMMIT TO TACKLE ONLINE CHILD SEXUAL EXPLOITATION

11-12 DECEMBER 2019

Theme: Protecting Children from Abuse in the Digital World

“Global Awareness Raising and Action to Tackle Online Child Sexual Exploitation”

Communique of the Global Summit to Tackle Online Child Sexual Exploitation

COMMUNIQUE OF THE GLOBAL SUMMIT TO TACKLE ONLINE CHILD SEXUAL EXPLOITATION

WE, the delegates of the Global Summit to Tackle Online Child Sexual Exploitation, held at the African Union Headquarters in Addis Ababa, Ethiopia on 11-12 December 2019:

Understanding that online child sexual exploitation is one of the most heinous and devastating crimes of modern times, with far-reaching and long-lasting consequences for victims and survivors;

Noting that the development and expansion of digital technologies has led to the exponential growth of online child sexual exploitation, affecting children across the globe; and

Convinced that this is a global crime which requires a global response…

1. COMMIT ourselves to:

(i) Collaboration between governments and regional organisations, law enforcement, civil society organisations and industry to tackle online child sexual exploitation;

(ii) Undertaking and sharing research on the threats of online chid sexual exploitation;

(iii) Sharing best practise on preventing and tackling this crime in all of its forms;

(iv) Protecting, supporting and listening to victims and survivors of online child sexual exploitation;

(v) Integrating where possible the WePROTECT Global Alliance’s Model National and Global Strategic Responses into national and regional policy to tackle online child sexual exploitation;

(vi) Taking other appropriate measures for the formulation of national and regional action plans to tackle online child sexual exploitation;

(vii) Step up our measures to tackle online child sexual exploitation; and

(viii) Support the implementation of the United Nations Convention on the Rights of the Child and the Optional Protocol on the Sale of Children, Child Prostitution and Child Pornography and the African Charter on the Rights and Welfare of the Child;

2. CALL ON existing WePROTECT Global Alliance Members to endorse the Statement of Action 2019 and call on non WePROTECT Global Alliance members to join the Alliance;

3. CALL ON African Union Member States to reaffirm the African Union Convention on Cyber Security and Personal Data Protection (the “Malabo Convention”) and to develop national action plans to tackle online child sexual exploitation in line with the WePROTECT Global Alliance Model National Response.