MONTEVIDEO (26 May 2023) – The Government of Uruguay has taken important steps to address the sale, sexual exploitation and abuse of children, but a more holistic and focused approach is needed to confront the root causes of these practices, a UN expert today said.

“Despite some progress, care for children remains fragmented,” the UN Special Rapporteur on the sale, sexual exploitation and sexual abuse of children, Mama Fatima Singhateh, said in a statement at the end of an 11-day visit to the country.

She urged the Government to adopt a comprehensive, child-centred, rights-based, trauma-informed and gender-sensitive strategy to combat and eradicate the phenomena of sale, sexual exploitation and abuse of children, as well as effective intersectoral coordination that focuses on structural cohesion, strengthens institutions, allocates adequate resources, promotes child participation, and sets short- and long-term goals with monitoring and accountability mechanisms.

Singhateh welcomed the Government's efforts to put in place a robust legal framework for the protection of children, which provides for the establishment of a sophisticated child protection system, as well as commendable initiatives such as the Travesía project and the Advisory and Consultative Council of the INAU Board of Directors.

“Agencies and child protection providers are overwhelmed and their ability to receive and support children has been stretched beyond capacity,” the UN expert said. “This could jeopardise the progress made so far and increase the risk of re-victimisation of child victims and survivors.”

The Special Rapporteur urged Uruguay to promote a more coordinated and sustainable strategy in the implementation of the existing legal framework and protocols to ensure the protection of all child victims and survivors, without discrimination, and allow for better synergy and optimisation of resources.

“The sexual exploitation and abuse of children is extremely common in the country and is socially and culturally normalised,” Singhateh said, pointing to the high number of early partnerships between girls and older men, and intra-family abuse and violence. “Sex education in schools can play a major role in informing children about the inherent risks of sexual relationships, bodily autonomy and early pregnancy,” she said.

The expert noted that the slow investigation process and delays in prosecution and closure of cases fuel the perception of impunity that some alleged perpetrators still enjoy, and do not allow for effective support and rehabilitation of child victims, survivors, families and witnesses of sale and sexual exploitation.

The Special Rapporteur urged the Government to address, as a prevention strategy, factors that increase vulnerability to these practices, such as gender inequality, poverty, all forms of discrimination, the persistence of certain social norms, sexual solicitation, especially through the Internet and social media, the constant market demand for the sex industry, child labour, social exclusion, school drop-outs and domestic physical and/or sexual abuse within the family.

During her visit, Singhateh met with representatives of the executive, legislative and judicial authorities, local and municipal authorities, UN agencies, civil society, child protection officers, educators, social workers, psychologists, members of the private sector, academia, local communities and children. She travelled to Montevideo, Paysandú and Chuy.

The UN expert will present her report to the Human Rights Council in March 2024.