Search for missing or sexually exploited children

The European Commission feels that combating the disappearance of children is a priority. Through this resolution, it aims to encourage cooperation between civil society organisations and the competent authorities in finding missing or sexually exploited children.

ACT

Council Resolution on the contribution of civil society in finding missing or sexually exploited children.

SUMMARY

The European Union feels that combating the disappearance of children is a priority. In recent years, the Union has adopted a number of measures to combat this phenomenon, in particular:

• Council Joint Action 97/154/JHA concerning action to combat trafficking in human beings and sexual exploitation of children;
• Council Decision to combat child pornography on the Internet;
• Commission proposal for a framework decision on combating the sexual exploitation of children and child pornography.

This Resolution concerns the following:

• Disappearance and abduction;
• Sexual exploitation (trafficking, prostitution and pornography);
• Non-organised sexual abuse outside the family.

In addition, the European Union feels that civil society can provide efficient support for the competent authorities in the search for missing children. To that end, it calls on the Member States to encourage cooperation between the civil society and the competent authorities, in particular by:

• Providing a free 24-hour hot-line to collect information on missing or sexually abused children;
• Making available volunteers for organised searches of missing children;
• Providing support for missing children.

Member States are invited to extend the exchange of information in order to ascertain the extent of the phenomenon and analyse its trends.

Moreover, the Commission is invited to analyse the actual extent of the phenomenon of missing children and to study the role of civil society organisations which actively support the search for missing children.

The Commission will present a report to the Council on the results of the study and the Council will determine what measures should be taken at European Union level.

Last updated: 26.05.2006