CRC/C/CRI/CO/4
measures to combat sexual exploitation of minors, amending several provisions of the
Criminal Code and the Code of Criminal Procedure, incorporating the Second National
Plan against Commercial Sexual Exploitation of Children (2008–2010) as one of the
priorities in the National Development Plan 2006–2010, and promoting a code of conduct
to combat sexual exploitation in the tourism sector. However, it remains concerned about
the limited impact of those measures, the high number of children, including children in
street situations, who are victims of sexual exploitation, and the lack of coordination among
institutions with regard to victim support, rehabilitation and reintegration.
76.
The Committee recommends that the State party:
(a)
Ensure effective inter-institutional coordination and allocate adequate
resources for the prevention of sexual exploitation of children, including at the local
level and by appropriately organizing the different sectors forming the National Child
Protection System;
(b)
Revise and effectively implement support, rehabilitation
reintegration programmes for child victims of sexual exploitation;
and
(c)
Ensure that programmes and policies for the prevention, recovery and
reintegration of child victims are in accordance with the outcome documents adopted
at the 1996 and 2001 World Congresses against Commercial Sexual Exploitation of
Children held in Stockholm and Yokohama, respectively, and the 2008 Third World
Congress against Sexual Exploitation of Children and Adolescents held in Rio de
Janeiro; and
(d)
Improve data collection and disaggregation concerning the number of
child victims of sexual exploitation and abuse, the number of perpetrators convicted,
and the types of assistance provided to victims.
Trafficking
77.
The Committee notes the State party’s efforts to combat trafficking in persons and
assist victims of this crime, including children, by raising awareness and training public
officials on trafficking offences; establishing the National Coalition against Illegal
Smuggling of Migrants and Trafficking in Persons, which prepared a national action plan
on trafficking that was incorporated in the National Development Plan (2006–2010);
creating an immediate response team to provide rapid responses for trafficking victims
within 24 hours; and amending the Migration Act to allow for temporary residence status of
migrants who are victims of trafficking. However, in line with its 2007 recommendations
on the State party report under the Optional Protocol on the sale of children, child
prostitution and pornography, the Committee notes with concern:
(a)
That trafficking in children for purposes of forced labour and sexual
exploitation, particularly in the sex tourism industry, continues to be a serious problem in
the State party;
(b)
in children;
The absence of criminal law provisions specifically criminalizing trafficking
(c)
The insufficient access to the asylum procedure for victims of trafficking, the
low conviction rate and lenient sentencing policy;
(d)
The limited impact of training for law enforcement officers on the
identification of trafficking cases and the application of criminal law provisions;
(e)
The State party’s reliance on NGOs to provide specialized assistance to and
the lack of shelters for child victims of trafficking;
18