Protocol against sexual trafficking enters into force

The Optional Protocol on the sale of children, child prostitution and child pornography entered into force on Friday, with UNICEF hailing it as a positive advancement in the fight against child exploitation. One of two optional protocols adopted by the UN General Assembly on 25 May 2000, it aims to reinforce the Convention on the Rights of the Child and criminalises violations of children rights, such as sale, transfer of organs for profit, illegal adoption, prostitution and pornography. It also emphasises international cooperation, information and education campaigns to combat the "multi-billion dollar commercial sex trade" and adds that poverty and underdevelopment, two of the root causes, should be addressed through international cooperation. According to UNICEF, about one million children, mainly girls, are victims of the trade every year. They are often refugees, orphans, abandoned children, and children working as domestic servants or those affected by armed conflicts. UNICEF Executive Director Carol Bellamy described the protocol as a "marvellous testimony" of the international community's commitment to eradicating the illicit trade. She however added that it was "urgent that governments implement the standards". As at Friday, the Protocol had been signed by 89 countries and ratified by 16, including the Democratic Republic of Congo, Morocco, Sierra Leone and Uganda.