Belarus attends regular session of UN Human Rights Council in Geneva

MINSK, 11 March (BelTA) - Belarus has made a significant contribution to international cooperation in the fight against trafficking in children and child pornography, Evgeny Lazarev, deputy head of multilateral diplomacy at the Foreign Ministry of Belarus, said at the 22nd session of the UN Human Rights Council in Geneva, BelTA learned from the press service of the foreign political department.

Evgeny Lazarev made a report within the framework of an interactive dialogue with the Special Rapporteur on trafficking in children, child prostitution and pornography. The representative of Belarus noted the urgency of the problem of sexual exploitation of children in tourism: more than 2 million children have become victims of this business; income from it exceeds $20 billion. International cooperation and exchange of information is an essential element of an effective fight against this dangerous phenomenon eroding the foundations of human existence.

Belarus noted with regret that not all countries responded to the request of the Special Rapporteur on sexual exploitation of children in tourism, including those counties whose nationals form the bulk of the demand for sexual services of children.

Evgeny Lazarev stressed the importance of the fact that Belarus has contributed to international cooperation in the fight against trafficking in children and child pornography. In February the international training center for migration and combating trafficking in human beings in Minsk hosted a regular training course for Eastern Europe on the fight against child pornography.

He also invited the Special Rapporteur to participate in the UN General Assembly high-level meeting on assessment of the progress made in the implementation of the global plan of action to combat trafficking in human beings, which, on the initiative of Belarus, will be held in New York in May.