PACT Celebrates Contribution to Historic Treaty at the United Nations
PACT, a member of the ECPAT International global network, is privileged to be an active participant in critical conversations taking place at the United Nations (UN).
PACT recently celebrated a significant milestone that has been years in the making. With authorization from the UN's General Assembly, PACT has been participating in sessions with their Ad Hoc Committee dating back to 2022. The Ad Hoc Committee was seeking guidance on addressing child cybercrimes and refining language surrounding child sexual exploitation and abuse for inclusion in the United Nations Convention against Cybercrime, a global treaty aimed at strengthening international cooperation to prevent cybercrime and protect societies from digital threats.
PACT, along with ECPAT International, played a key role in recommending language, which eventually led to Article 14, “Offenses related to online child sexual abuse or child sexual exploitation material,” and Article 15, ”Solicitation or grooming for the sole purpose of committing a sexual offense against a child,” of the treaty. After revisions, the language was approved for submission to the General Assembly, and was subsequently adopted in December 2024.
This marks the first international criminal justice treaty to have been negotiated in over two decades!
“Although participating in the deliberations was a long process, the outcome of our intervention will have implications for children far into the future. These crimes know no geographical nor political boundaries. Member states that ratify the treaty will now have the legal basis to prosecute child sexual exploitation and abuse that is committed by means of computers, laptops, smart phones, and share evidence in electronic forms.”
We are honored to have contributed to the content of this historic treaty, which not only recognizes child sexual exploitation and abuse as one of the few named crimes within the treaty, but defines that a child is “any person under 18 years of age.” Having a seat at the table at the United Nations allows us to contribute to strengthening protections for children from sexual exploitation and trafficking.
To view the full text of the Convention, click here.