Although significant efforts have been made to address the scourge of the sale and sexual exploitation of children, numerous gaps remain. The nature of the issue has changed considerably over recent decades with far-reaching impact on children, including the expansion of the internet, migration flows, natural disasters, conflicts, climate-related upheavals, and the ever-evolving and increasing use of assisted reproductive technologies, such as surrogacy.
Against this backdrop, UNICEF Innocenti collaborated with the UN Special Rapporteur on the sale and sexual exploitation of children to reflect on the current state of play of this problem, its root causes and new manifestations, as well as the relevance and the impact of interventions to eliminate this crime. Following an expert consultation held at UNICEF Innocenti in 2019, three reports were published (available in five languages: English, Arabic, French, Italian, and Spanish) which summarise key discussion points around important contexts related to the sale and sexual exploitation of children: technology, sport, and migration.