Janet Keller
U.S. Public Delegate
New York, New York
October 5, 2023
AS DELIVERED
Thank you, Chair. And thank you, Madam Special Rapporteur, for your report on the exploitation and sexual abuse of children in the context of travel and tourism, with a specific focus on voluntourism.
The United States shares your deep concerns about the sale and exploitation of children. We recognize the complexity of this challenge and support your work to shed light on the root causes of child exploitation.
We are enacting victim-centered, offender-focused, and trauma-informed approaches to combat the sexual exploitation and abuse of children. We encourage all countries to adopt these types of multidisciplinary approaches that prioritize the safety, health, and wellbeing of survivors and hold perpetrators accountable.
We call on all Member States to consider policy changes aimed at protecting the next generation and addressing the systemic root causes of the sale and sexual exploitation of children.
Madam Special Rapporteur, what best practices can Member States implement to combat voluntourism’s role in the sale and sexual exploitation of children?
I thank you.
###
