Every year during the Human Rights Council at the United Nations in Geneva, a full day is reserved on the rights of the child. This day presents an opportunity for representatives from countries and NGOs to meet and compare various realities and international initiatives regarding children.
This year, on March 7th 2016, Mr. Benyam Dawit Mezmur
(Chairperson of the Committee on the Right of the Child), Ms. Maud de
Boer-Buquicchio (Special Rapporteur on the sale of children, child prostitution
and child pornography) and Mr. Hernias Allen (Chairperson of the International
Advisory Board of the United Kingdom) attended the early morning session.
Ms. Kate Gilmore (High United Nations Deputy Commissioner for
Human Rights) introduced the debate reporting the situations to which children
are exposed during online activities including the use of internet for the
diffusion of pornographic material. The internet offers a great opportunity for
people to connect socially and culturally, especially young people.
Unfortunately in many cases, it’s submitted to a serious distortion: the
younger the children are, the more vulnerable they are - both in the virtual
and real world- and more serious is the abuse to which they are submitted.