Deputy Secretary-General Urges Governments to Invest in 2030 Agenda Targets, at Event on New Index Protecting Children from Sexual Abuse

Following are UN Deputy Secretary-General Amina Mohammed’s remarks at the event “Shedding Light on Child Sexual Abuse and Exploitation” and Preview of the Economic Intelligence Unit Benchmarking Index, in New York, today:

I am delighted to be part of this exciting movement to shed light on child sexual abuse and exploitation – to make homes, schools and communities free from violence, exploitation and abuse.  Allow me to start with the words of a child survivor:  “He told me to take off my clothes and spread my legs.  I started doing shows when I was 7, three times a day.  I bought food with the payment.  My mother didn’t know anything about it.  I feel angry and I want to forget it.  I don’t like it.  I miss my family.”

These are the words of “Lorna”, an 8-year-old girl recruited by a neighbour to perform in front of a webcam for live streaming.  Fortunately, Lorna was rescued by the police.  Yet, sadly, this is just one story.  Every day, across all countries and levels of society, millions of girls and boys face the alarmingly common childhood experience of sexual abuse and exploitation.  Globally, at least 120 million girls under the age of 20 – about 1 in 10 – have been forced to engage in sex or perform other sexual acts.  Millions more, including millions of boys, never tell anyone.  The global economic impacts and costs can be as high as $7 trillion.

Faced with growing evidence of the impact and the emergence of the Internet in facilitating the sexual exploitation of children, Governments have started to act.  Today’s meeting is an opportunity to share experiences and good practices.  Further, we hope that the Economic Intelligence Unit Benchmarking Index will help push this challenge higher up the global agenda.  I thank Her Royal Highness, the Queen of Sweden, for her tireless advocacy and support for these young lives.

The 2030 Agenda for Sustainable Development calls on us to end violence against children by 2030.  All over the world, Governments are updating their laws and policies to more effectively criminalize child sexual abuse and exploitation.  Governments are also building systems to better protect and care for child victims.  Civil society, the media and industry are key allies in these efforts.

Better data on the extent and impact of sexual violence against children have deepened our understanding of what works to make society safer for children.  We know, for example, that ending sexual violence depends on multisectoral, multi-partner coordinated national action, based on evidence.

Within the UN system, in line with the United Nations development system reform, we must work towards system-wide results that cut across organizational and sectoral silos.  At the national level, this means stronger legal and policy frameworks, systems and institutions to ensure reporting, sensitive treatment of victims by law enforcement and justice systems, and physical and psychosocial support from the health and social service systems.

We also know that ending sexual violence requires us to harness the energies, skills and resources of all parts of society.  We must make full use of the cross-sectoral partner platforms of the Global Partnership to End Violence Against Children and the WeProtect Global Alliance to End Child Sexual Exploitation Online.

We must build on the 20 countries which have adopted a comprehensive framework to end violence in schools, as part of a global Safe to Learn initiative, launched by UNICEF and partners this past September.  And we must support public private partnerships such as Together for Girls, which focuses on sexual violence against girls.

Let me close with three requests:  First, let us call on all members of society to no longer tolerate violence and exploitation of children, including online.  Second, let us call on all Governments to invest sufficient resources to make SDG 16.2 a reality for all children.  And third, let us all commit to take action.  Preventing violence and exploitation of children is everyone’s business, everywhere, at all times.  We must address this challenge and break the silence.

I look forward to working with all of you towards a world in which every child can grow up free from sexual exploitation and abuse.  Thank you.