This has been another good week in moving forward on the Recommendations of Global Study on the Sexual Exploitation of Children in Travel and Tourism.

These are the words by Dorothy Rozga Executive Director Ecpat International.

A number of the sections of the Study raise concern about the sexual exploitation of children by UN peacekeepers and other UN personnel. In response, one of the Study’s Recommendations calls “for the UN General Assembly to ensure implementation of the recommendations and to strengthen the UN’s response to sexual exploitation and abuse by United Nations Personnel in the areas of prevention, enforcement, and remedial action….”

An important step was taken in this direction earlier this week when senior officials from fifty-seven countries joined UN Secretary-General Antonio Guterres in a meeting on the sidelines of the UN General Assembly to discuss efforts to end sexual exploitation and abuse in peacekeeping missions around the world. Guterres announced new measures to tackle the problem, including a mandate for investigators to examine allegations within seventy-two hours of a report, bans on alcohol and fraternization for troops, the appointment of the first-ever UN rights advocate for victims, and the establishment of a new accountability mechanism. Seventy-five countries signed or pledged to sign a compact outlining these steps toward curbing the tide of sexual violence.