Sale and exploitation of children: UN rights expert launches official visit to Georgia

Georgian

GENEVA / TBILISI (7 April 2016) – United Nations Special Rapporteur on the sale of children, child prostitution and child pornography, Maud de Boer-Buquicchio, will carry out a monitoring visit to Georgia from 11 to 18 April 2016.

“I look forward to evaluating the scope of sale and exploitation of children in the country, as well as the progress made and the challenges faced by Georgia to fight it,” said the independent expert mandated by the UN Human Rights Council to promote strategies to prevent and combat the sale of children, child prostitution and child pornography, and to make recommendations for the care, recovery and reintegration of child victims.

“I will reach out to child victims of abuse, violence and exploitation, and to children in vulnerable situations, such as children placed in institutions and children living in settlements for the internally displaced, to take their opinions into account in my recommendations to the Government and other concerned parties,” said Ms. de Boer-Buquicchio, who visits the country at the invitation of the Government.

During her eight-day visit, the human rights expert will travel to Tbilisi, Rustavi and Batumi. She will meet with representatives of the executive, legislative and judicial branches, local and territorial authorities, the Public Defender’s Office, child protection NGOs, representatives of the business sector, members of the international community, and youth representatives.

The Special Rapporteur will also visit various child care centres and the Tserovani settlement for internally displaced people.

At the end of her visit, on Monday 18 April 2016, Ms. de Boer-Buquicchio will share with the media her preliminary observations at a press conference which will be held at the Conference Hall of the Tbilisi Marriott Hotel, Rustaveli Avenue 13, Tbilisi, at 12:30 am. Access to the press conference will be limited to journalists.

The Special Rapporteur will present a comprehensive report on her visit to the UN Human Rights Council in March 2017.

Ms. Maud de Boer-Buquicchio (Netherlands) was appointed as Special Rapporteur on the sale of children, child prostitution and child pornography by the UN Human Rights Council in May 2014. She served as Deputy Secretary General of the Council of Europe between 2002 and 2012. Ms. de Boer-Buquicchio spearheaded the adoption of the Council of Europe Convention on the Protection of Children from Sexual Exploitation and Sexual Abuse. She is the President of the European Federation for Missing and Exploited Children. Learn more, visit: http://www.ohchr.org/en/special-procedures/sr-sale-of-children

The Special Rapporteurs are part of the Special Procedures of Human Rights Council. Special Procedures, the largest body of independent experts in the UN Human Rights system, is the general name of the Council’s independent fact-finding and monitoring mechanisms that address either specific country situations or thematic issues in all parts of the world. Special Procedures’ experts work on a voluntary basis; they are not UN staff and do not receive a salary for their work. They are independent from any government or organization, and serve in their individual capacity.

UN Human Rights, Country Page – Georgia: http://www.ohchr.org/en/countries/georgia

For more information and media requests please contact Ms. Nekane Lavín (+41 22 917 9402 or +995 599 570 786 / nlavin@ohchr.org)

For media inquiries related to other UN independent experts:
Mr. Xabier Celaya – Media Unit (+ 41 22 917 9383 / xcelaya@ohchr.org)  

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