Co-operation needed to protect children from sexual exploitation on the Internet, participants in OSCE online seminar say

VIENNA, 13 October 2008 - The OSCE's first conference to be held exclusively online opened today with speakers calling for co-operation to protect children from sexual exploitation on the Internet.

Experts making presentations during the seminar, held from 13 to 24 October, will address the need for legal framework, international analysis, investigation co-operation and co-operation between the civil society and criminal investigators. They will also discuss the role of education and technology to combat the crime.

OSCE Secretary General Marc Perrin de Brichambaut said the topic of the Organization's first online seminar was well-chosen.

"An issue like sexual exploitation of children on the Internet is clearly one which is gathering momentum; which requires a broad response - not only technicians, but also the opinion at large," he said in a recorded interview broadcast online as part of the seminar.

The OSCE's Strategic Police Matters Unit will moderate the content and participate in discussions.

Kevin Carty, the Organization's Senior Police Adviser, told seminar participants that it was important to find ways the OSCE could add to the work of other international organizations in this field. "We are hoping that this conference will be an important contribution to that process," he said.

Eva Biaudet, the OSCE Special Representative and Co-ordinator for Combating Trafficking in Human Beings, said victims' position must be understood, emphasizing that "it is always about trafficking when a child is being exploited."

The workshop was organized in response to a decision made at the OSCE Ministerial Council in November 2007 in Madrid.

It is hosted on the OSCE Policing OnLine Information System (POLIS) website. POLIS is a comprehensive resource that gathers information on all aspects of law enforcement activities within the OSCE area, including police assistance, training techniques and funding opportunities.

For more information, please see http://polis.osce.org/events/details?item_id=3330&lang_tag=EN&_ru=%2F