Strengthening participatory practice with children and young people affected by sexual violence
The day will highlight the need for more awareness raising and better protection and prevention efforts to address child sexual exploitation and abuse.
The Committee of Ministers of the Council of Europe have established a new European Day on the Protection of Children against Sexual Exploitation and Sexual Abuse. The 18th of November will mark this day in all member States of the Council of Europe.
The objectives of the European Day will be to: raise awareness of child sexual exploitation and abuse and the need to prevent such abuse; prevent stigmatisation of victims; and to promote the ratification and implementation of the Lanzarote Convention by the member States of the Council of Europe.
The Lanzarote Convention (the Council of Europe Convention on Protection of Children against Sexual Exploitation and Sexual Abuse) requires for the criminalisation of all kinds of sexual offences against children, as well as for the adoption of specific legislation and measures to prevent them, protect victims and prosecute perpetrators. To date, the Convention has been ratified by 36 countries.
The European Day will be marked through awareness raising activities with the strong involvement of civil society in member States. These steps will complement the already existing Council of Europe's campaigns, such as the ONE IN FIVE campaign.