Volume 2171, A-27531
Noting the provisions of international legal instruments relevant to the protection of
children, including the Hague Convention on the Protection of Children and Cooperation
with Respect to Inter-Country Adoption, the Hague Convention on the Civil Aspects of International Child Abduction, the Hague Convention on Jurisdiction, Applicable Law, Recognition, Enforcement and Cooperation in Respect of Parental Responsibility and
Measures for the Protection of Children, and International Labour Organization Convention No. 182 on the Prohibition and Immediate Action for the Elimination of the Worst
Forms of Child Labour,
Encouraged by the overwhelming support for the Convention on the Rights of the
Child, demonstrating the widespread commitment that exists for the promotion and protection of the rights of the child,
Recognizing the importance of the implementation of the provisions of the Programme
of Action for the Prevention of the Sale of Children, Child Prostitution and Child
Pornography and the Declaration and Agenda for Action adopted at the World Congress
against Commercial Sexual Exploitation of Children, held at Stockholm from 27 to 31
August 1996, and the other relevant decisions and recommendations of pertinent
international bodies,
Taking due account of the importance of the traditions and cultural values of each people for the protection and harmonious development of the child,
Have agreed as follows:
Article 1
States Parties shall prohibit the sale of children, child prostitution and child pornography as provided for by the present Protocol.
Article 2
For the purpose of the present Protocol:
(a) Sale of children means any act or transaction whereby a child is transferred by any
person or group of persons to another for remuneration or any other consideration;
(b) Child prostitution means the use of a child in sexual activities for remuneration or
any other form of consideration;
(c) Child pornography means any representation, by whatever means, of a child engaged in real or simulated explicit sexual activities or any representation of the sexual parts
of a child for primarily sexual purposes.
Article 3
1 . Each State Party shall ensure that, as a minimum, the following acts and activities
are fully covered under its criminal or penal law, whether these offences are committed domestically or transnationally or on an individual or organized basis:
(a) In the context of sale of children as defined in Article 2:
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