A/HRC/RES/31/7
United Nations
General Assembly
Distr.: General
20 April 2016
Original: English
Human Rights Council
Thirty-first session
Agenda item 3
Resolution adopted by the Human Rights Council on 23
March 2016
31/7.
Rights of the child: information and communications
technologies and child sexual exploitation
The Human Rights Council,
Emphasizing that the Convention on the Rights of the Child constitutes the standard
in the promotion and protection 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, and that of other relevant human rights instruments,
Recalling all previous resolutions on the rights of the child of the Commission on
Human Rights, the Human Rights Council and the General Assembly, the most recent
being Council resolution 28/19 of 27 March 2015 and Assembly resolution 70/137 of 17
December 2015,
Welcoming the work of the Committee on the Rights of the Child on the issue of
information and communications technologies and child sexual exploitation, including in
the context of its general comments, in particular general comments No. 13 (2011) on the
right of the child to freedom from all forms of violence and No. 16 (2013) on State
obligations regarding the impact of the business sector on children’s rights,
Welcoming also the work of the Special Rapporteur on the sale of children, child
prostitution and child pornography and of the Special Representative of the SecretaryGeneral on Violence against Children on opportunities and risks associated with the use of
information and communications technologies and children’s protection from sexual abuse
and exploitation,1 and the work of the Special Representative of the Secretary-General on
Children and Armed Conflict, and taking note with appreciation of their recent reports,2
Welcoming further the adoption by the General Assembly of the 2030 Agenda for
Sustainable Development,3 underscoring the importance of its implementation in ensuring
1
2
3
A/HRC/28/56 and A/HRC/28/55.
A/HRC/31/19, A/HRC/31/20 and A/HRC/31/58.
General Assembly resolution 70/1.
GE.16-06505(E)