ICPO-Interpol - General Assembly 71st Session - Yaoundé - 21st-24th October 2002

The ICPO-Interpol General Assembly, meeting in Yaoundé from 21 - 24 October 2002 at its 71st session:

BEARING IN MIND Interpol's firm long-standing commitment to combating crimes against children, evidenced by previous resolutions directed against the sexual exploitation of children,

DEEPLY CONCERNED at the plight of children who have been trafficked for the purpose of working in agricultural, mining, domestic and other industries, for exploitation in organized begging groups or to provide services through any form of illegal or forced activity,

HAVING IN MIND the terms of the United Nations Protocol to Prevent, Suppress and Punish Trafficking in Persons, Especially Women and Children (2000), which is intended to prevent and combat the recruitment, transportation, transfer, harbouring or receipt of a child for the purpose of forced labour or services, slavery or practices similar to slavery, servitude or the removal of organs,

RECOGNIZING in particular the initiatives of the Interpol Sub-Regional Bureau for West and Central Africa to raise awareness and support police initiatives to deal with trafficking in children for forced labour,

HAVING NOTED with appreciation the efforts made by the International Labour Office (ILO) in introducing a new human rights instrument, ILO Convention No. 182, to eliminate the worst forms of child labour, and the ILO's work in conducting projects to protect children from the worst forms of child labour,

STRONGLY ENCOURAGES Member States to introduce and implement legislation to eliminate the worst forms of child labour;

URGES the National Central Bureaus of Member States to increase the exchange of information on international criminal networks involved in all forms of trafficking in children for forced labour and services;

ASKS Member States to provide police protection and support to organizations conducting projects seeking to assist and protect children from sexual exploitation and all other harmful forms of child labour;

TASKS the General Secretariat with co-ordinating international law enforcement activities in the field of trafficking in children for forced labour or services, slavery or practices similar to slavery, servitude or the removal of organs.

Adopted