A/HRC/RES/52/26
United Nations
General Assembly
Distr.: General
13 April 2023
Original: English
Human Rights Council
Fifty-second session
27 February–4 April 2023
Agenda item 3
Promotion and protection of all human rights, civil,
political, economic, social and cultural rights,
including the right to development
Resolution adopted by the Human Rights Council
on 4 April 2023
52/26.
Mandate of Special Rapporteur on the sale, sexual exploitation and
sexual abuse of children
The Human Rights Council,
Recalling Human Rights Council resolutions 7/13 of 27 March 2008, 34/16 of 24
March 2017 and 43/22 of 22 June 2020, and all relevant resolutions of the Commission on
Human Rights, in particular Commission resolution 1990/68 of 7 March 1990, and Economic
and Social Council decision 2004/285 of 22 July 2004,
Emphasizing that the Convention on the Rights of the Child constitutes the
international legal foundation for the respect, protection and fulfilment of the rights of the
child, bearing in mind the importance of the Optional Protocols to the Convention, and calling
for their universal ratification and effective implementation,
Deeply concerned about the persistence of the sale and the sexual exploitation and
abuse of children, in particular of girls, both online and offline, including through child
prostitution, child pornography and other child sexual abuse material, while stressing the
urgent need for the effective implementation of prevention, protection, rehabilitation,
recovery and reintegration measures for children who are victims and survivors, in a genderand trauma-responsive manner, including through cross-border cooperation, as well as the
importance of ensuring access to justice, accountability and legal remedies,
Recognizing the scale, complexity and enormous individual and societal harm of all
forms of sale and sexual exploitation and abuse of children, both online and offline,
Expressing concern that conflicts, the coronavirus disease (COVID-19) pandemic,
climate change, biodiversity loss, pollution crises and the large-scale movements of migrants
and refugees have increased the risk, in various manifestations, of the sale and sexual
exploitation of children, in particular of girls, while stressing that States should put in place
robust, rights-based child protection systems to prevent or mitigate the impact of these crises
on the full realization of the rights of the child, including with regard to family life, while
taking into consideration the importance of family reunification in the case of children on the
move,
Stressing that the realization of all rights of the child is a crucial means to achieving
the goals outlined in the 2030 Agenda for Sustainable Development, especially targets 5.3,
8.7 and 16.2 of the Sustainable Development Goals,
GE.23-06828(E)