COMMITTEE ON THE RIGHTS OF THE CHILD CONSIDERS REPORT OF ISRAEL ON THE SALE OF CHILDREN AND CHILD PROSTITUTION

The Committee on the Rights of the Child today considered the initial report of Israel on its implementation of the Optional Protocol to the Convention on the Rights of the Child on the sale of children, child prostitution and child pornography.

Introducing the report, Eviator Manor, Ambassador and Permanent Representative of Israel to the United Nations Office at Geneva, said Israel was fully committed to its implementation of the Optional Protocol on the sale of children, child prostitution and child pornography and while much remained to be done in order to eradicate the worldwide phenomenon of trafficking in children, child prostitution and child pornography, Israel considered its efforts to be successful. For the last three years Israel had not encountered any cases of the sale of children and no cases of child sex tourism.

Presenting the report, Hila Tene-Gilad, Director, Human Rights and Relations with International Organizations Directorate, Office of the Deputy Attorney General, said Israel had acceded to the Optional Protocol with a firm commitment to protect children from the heinous crimes listed under it. Israel took a multi-layered approach towards implementation of the Protocol which included legislation, prosecution, institutional changes, education, staff training and public activities aimed at tackling the root causes of crimes against children. Legislative amendments included the criminalization of the possession of child pornography by streaming as well as downloading onto a computer, and a new law to tackle the problem of minors distributing sexual images of other minors through social networks. Institutional developments included the establishment of a Police Cyber Crime Division and several prosecutions in the courts. Efforts to prevent trafficking of children included a new immigration procedure for the entry of unaccompanied minors into Israel.

During the discussion Committee Experts commended Israel for the good progress it had made, especially in the strengthening of legislation and the provision of training programmes. They asked about measures to protect vulnerable children from sexual exploitation such as child sex tourism and prostitution, efforts to prevent and prosecute child pornography, and about cross-border surrogacy and adoption procedures. The delegation was also asked about Israel’s extra-territorial jurisdiction and extradition processes, birth registration and efforts to prevent trafficking in persons.

In concluding remarks Benyam Dawit Mezmur, Committee Member acting as Rapporteur for the report, thanked the delegation for the open and candid conversation and said Israel had made visible progress in implementing the Optional Protocol, particularly in terms of legislation and capacity and institution building. He hoped the implementation of the Optional Protocol would help address the challenges faced by children who were Israeli citizens but also non-Israeli children over which Israel had effective control.

Ambassador Manor, in concluding remarks, thanked the Committee for its valuable feedback during the substantive dialogue which would bear constructive and fruitful results. He said that Israel placed great importance on respect for children’s rights and had achieved significant progress in law and in practice.

The delegation of Israel included representatives of the Human Rights and Relations with International Organizations Directorate within the Office of the Deputy Attorney General, Anti-Trafficking Unit within the Ministry of Justice, Directorate of services for adults and young adults at risk within the Ministry of Social Services, the National Juvenile Delinquency Department within the Investigation and Intelligence Division, and the Permanent Mission of Israel to the United Nations Office at Geneva.

The Committee will next convene in public at 10 a.m. on Wednesday, 3 June at the Palais Wilson to meet with States, before closing the session at 3 p.m. on Friday, 5 June after which it will publish its concluding recommendations. Information and documentation for the Committee’s sixty-ninth session can be found here.

Report

The initial report of Israel under the Optional Protocol on the sale on children, child prostitution and child pornography can be read here: (CRC/C/OPSC/ISR/1).

Presentation of the Report

EVIATOR MANOR, Ambassador and Permanent Representative of Israel to the United Nations Office at Geneva, introducing the report, said Israel acknowledged the important goals of the Optional Protocol to the Convention on the Rights of the Child on the sale of children, child prostitution and child pornography and was fully committed to its implementation. There were several Governmental authorities in Israel which were responsible for the required activities under the Protocol, including the National Anti-Trafficking Unit coordinating efforts to prevent the sale of children, the Police Cyber Division and the State Attorney’s Office leading the struggle against child pornography. The Ministry of Public Security, Society and Crime Prevention together with other ministries led the efforts against child prostitution. Ambassador Manor said the report was the product of extensive internal efforts of all Government agencies and comments submitted by non-governmental organizations.

While much remained to be done in order to eradicate the worldwide phenomenon of trafficking in children, child prostitution and child pornography, Israel considered its efforts to be successful. For the last three years Israel had not encountered any cases of sale of children and no cases of child sex tourism. Cases regarding exploitation of children, child prostitution and child pornography were handled with great consideration for the best interests of the child, out of respect for human dignity, the right to personal autonomy over the minor’s body and the right to privacy. The Government had de