The Conflict

An international commitment was issued at the end of the Second World Congress Against Commercial Sexual Exploitation of Children, held in Yokohama, Japan, from December 17 to 20, 2001, in the effort to stop the commercial sexual exploitation of children (CSEC). While signing an international declaration is a first step, translating the commitment into national legislation and international law enforcement action represents a real challenge. There is no single international agency to champion the fight against CSEC.

Political

• As expressed through the Convention on the Rights of the Child, basic child rights must be protected worldwide. This would mean an international recognition that children have the right to healthy development, to be heard on matters of concern to them, and to be protected from political and economic actions that will have a negative...