Council of Europe: handbook on the protection of children against sexual exploitation and abuse in crisis situations

To mark International Migrants Day (18 December), the Council of Europe is launching a handbook on the protection of children against sexual exploitation and sexual abuse in crisis and emergency situations, the Council of Europe announced in a statement. “There is a heightened risk of children going missing when they are on the move, including from the reception facilities responsible for protecting them. The handbook highlights different challenges, including this one and how to address them”, said Leyla Kayacik, the Council of Europe Special Representative of the Secretary General on Migration and Refugees. The handbook builds on the findings of the Committee on the Protection of Children from Sexual Exploitation and Sexual Abuse (Lanzarote Committee), in particular its “urgent monitoring round on protecting children affected by the refugee crisis from sexual exploitation and sexual abuse”, and includes examples of concrete measures that may be set up or improved in member states. In addition, it details good practices such as helplines and other support services for children, coordination across agencies responsible for migration and child protection, data collection and the phenomenon of missing children. The handbook contributes to the implementation of the Council of Europe Action Plan on Protecting Vulnerable Persons in the Context of Migration and Asylum in Europe (2021-2025), and the Council of Europe Strategy for the Rights of the Child (2022 to 2027). It is available in Czech, Hungarian, Polish, Romanian, Slovak and Ukrainian.
Irene Giuntella