A/HRC/55/55 10. On 10 October 2023, during the seventy-eighth session of the General Assembly, the Special Rapporteur convened a side event jointly with Foundation ECPAT International (End Child Prostitution, Child Pornography and Trafficking in Children for Sexual Purposes) and PACT by ECPAT-USA entitled “A closer look at the phenomena of voluntourism”. The event was focused on innovative ways to develop inter-agency and cross-sectoral initiatives encompassing the child protection, education, media and tourism sectors and faith-based organizations to foster actions aimed at addressing voluntourism and responding to its adverse effects on children. III. Thematic study on the sexual abuse and exploitation of children in the entertainment industry A. Introduction 11. The sexual abuse and exploitation of children are prevalent across various mediums within the entertainment industry and in different entertainment genres, both formal and informal. The problem cuts across various facets of the industry and community space, exposing children to risks in the areas of film, television, music, theatre, modelling, circuses, choirs, concerts, nightclubs, bars, glamour industries, sports, 3 tourism and hospitality4 and in community facilities, at public spectacles and events and in digital space, including the newer domains5 of social media influencing and gaming.6 In recent times, children have been cast in reality television shows or have gained celebrity status through the Internet, with little to no legal counsel nor protection.7 12. Several high-profile cases that have involved the sexual abuse and exploitation of minors have sparked broader societal discussions regarding the limits of acceptable social norms and values. Incidences of the sexual exploitation and abuse of children resulting from unethical practices or abuse by people with power and authority in the entertainment industry, in both public and private settings, have been reported globally. 8 Lawsuits brought against industry insiders have revealed multiple cases of the sexual exploitation and abuse of children, highlighting such exploitation and abuse as global issues of concern. 9 In a number of instances, the victims have been met with silence, their experience unacknowledged. In some instances, their cases have not been investigated. Victims have also faced threats and intimidation and have found that reparation measures were not available. 10 13. The rights and interests of children in the entertainment industry are numerous and multifaceted and encompass issues relating to publicity, contracts, privacy and labour practices. 11 While research concerning adults has been published on gender, work arrangements and sexual harassment in the entertainment industry, much less information 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 10 11 GE.23-25843 See A/HRC/40/51. See A/78/137 and A/HRC/22/54. See A/HRC/28/56. See submissions from Colombia, Guinea, Ecuador, Foundation ECPAT International and the Centre d’Etudes sur le Leadership et la promotion des Droits Humains. All submission referred to in the present report are available at https://www.ohchr.org/en/calls-for-input/2023/call-inputs-study-sexualabuse-and-exploitation-children-entertainment. See also International Labour Organization (ILO), “Policy brief on sexual harassment in the entertainment industry”, November 2020. Tabetha Bennett, “Child entertainers and their limited protections: a call for an interstate compact,” Child and Family Law Journal, vol. 9, No. 1 (2021). See https://projectwhen.org/research-on-workplace-harassment/harassment-in-the-media-andentertainment-industry; and Justine J. Reel and Emily Crouch, “#MeToo: uncovering sexual harassment and assault in sport”, Journal of Clinical Sport Psychology, vol. 13, No. 2 (June 2019). See Helping Survivors, “History of Hollywood sexual abuse”, 19 October 2023; and Human Rights Now, “HRN releases oral statement on sexual violence in the entertainment industry”, 18 July 2023. See Nikki R. Breeland, “‘All the truth I could tell’: a discussion of Title VII’s potential impact on systemic entertainment industry victimization”, UCLA Women’s Law Journal, vol. 25, No. 2 (2018); see also United States District Court for the Southern District of New York, Louisette Geiss and others v. The Weinstein Company Holdings LLC and others, Opinion, 17 April 2019. Bennett, “Child entertainers and their limited protections”. 3