CRC/C/15/Add.259 page 23 across borders. The Committee expresses its concern about existing risk factors contributing to trafficking activities, such as persistent poverty, temporary overseas migration, growing sex tourism and weak law enforcement in the State party. 87. The Committee urges the State party to: (a) Review its domestic laws on the protection of children against sexual exploitation, including the use of children for pornography, in order to provide all child victims of such exploitation with equal protection, inter alia, by including in the law equal sanctions to all perpetrators of sexual offences against children; (b) Set a clearly defined minimum age of sexual consent at an internationally acceptable level in its domestic law; (c) Conduct a comprehensive study to assess the causes, nature and extent of commercial sexual exploitation and trafficking of children; (d) Provide adequate programmes of assistance and reintegration for sexually exploited and/or trafficked children in accordance with the Declaration and Agenda for Action and the Global Commitment adopted at the First and Second World Congresses against Commercial Sexual Exploitation of Children; (e) Pay particular attention to existing risk factors, such as the growing sex tourism in the region and continue to collaborate with the Department of Tourism and tourism service providers in this respect; (f) Launch awareness-raising campaigns for children, parents and other caregivers, in order to prevent trafficking, sexual exploitation and pornography involving children, and sensitize officials working with and for victims of trafficking. 88. With regard to the trafficking of children in the Philippines, within the country and across its borders, the Committee endorses the recommendation adopted by the Human Rights Committee at its seventy-ninth session in 2003 (CCPR/CO/79/PHL, para. 13) on taking appropriate measures to combat trafficking in all its forms, by ensuring effective enforcement of the relevant legislation and imposing sanctions on those found responsible. Administration of juvenile justice 89. The Committee is seriously alarmed at the high level of crime and the high number of persons below 18 years of age in detention in the State party, the persistent violations of the rights of children in conflict with the law, the alleged cases of torture, abuse, including sexual abuse and other forms of degrading treatment of persons below 18 years of age in detention, and the overall deficiencies in the administration of the Philippine juvenile justice system. The Committee notes with deep concern that adequate legislation governing juvenile justice is lacking and that a proposed bill on the Comprehensive Juvenile Justice System and Delinquency Prevention Programme has been pending in Congress since 1999. While noting that an Administrative Order issued in February 2000 designated Regional Trial Courts as Family Courts, the Committee is concerned about the lack of child-sensitive and adequately trained juvenile courts.

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