A/RES/74/174
Countering child sexual exploitation and sexual abuse online
forms of exploitation are harmful and have a negative impact on the development and
long-term well-being of children and on family cohesion and social stability, 2
Emphasizing that the increasing number of ways that child sexual exploitation
and child sexual abuse material can be produced, distributed, sold, copied, collected
and viewed online and the ability of individuals to congregate with one another online
and promote child sexual exploitation and sexual abuse have increased risks to
children, including by normalizing child sexual exploitation and child sexual abuse
and by encouraging harmful contact with children, and noting that this conduct
violates and threatens the integrity, rights and safety of children,
Noting that the United Nations Convention against Transnational Organized
Crime 3 is a tool that may be used by States parties to provide international cooperation
for preventing and combating transnational organized crime and that, in some States
parties, may be used in some cases of child sexual abuse and sexual exploitation
online,
Stressing the importance of enhancing coordination and cooperation among
Member States in preventing and combating child sexual exploitation and sexual
abuse online, identifying child victims, bringing perpetrators to justice and
reinforcing the provision of technical assistance to requesting States to improve
national legislation and enhance the capacity of national authorities to deal with child
sexual exploitation in all its forms, including in the process of prevention, detection,
investigation and prosecution and the physical and psychological r ecovery and social
integration of child victims,
Recalling the Convention on the Rights of the Child 4 and the Optional Protocol
to the Convention on the Rights of the Child on the sale of children, child prostitution
and child pornography, 5
Noting that the term “child pornography” is being increasingly referred to,
within some Member States, as child sexual exploitation or child sexual abuse
material to better reflect the nature of such material and the seriousness of the harm
suffered by the child in this context,
Reaffirming the importance of existing international legal instruments that
contribute to the fight against child sexual exploitation and sexual abuse and contain
internationally agreed upon definitions, and recognizing the importance of using
terminology that reflects the severity of the harm inflicted on children by such
conduct,
Acknowledging the importance of existing legal instruments that require parties
to criminalize the sexual abuse and exploitation of children and that enable effective
international cooperation in the context of combating child sexual exploitation and
abuse,
Recalling its resolutions 73/154 of 17 December 2018 on protecting children
from bullying, 73/148 of 17 December 2018, entitled “Intensification of efforts to
prevent and eliminate all forms of violence against women and girls: sexual
harassment”, 69/194 of 18 December 2014 on the United Nations Model Strategies
and Practical Measures on the Elimination of Violence against Children in the Field
of Crime Prevention and Criminal Justice and 72/195 of 19 December 2017 on
improving the coordination of efforts against trafficking in persons, Economic and
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2
3
4
5
2/6
The actions mentioned in this paragraph are not necessarily criminal offences in all Member
States.
United Nations, Treaty Series, vol. 2225, No. 39574.
Ibid., vol. 1577, No. 27531.
Ibid., vol. 2171, No. 27531.
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