Philippines has emerged as the world’s hotspot for online sexual abuse and exploitation of children (OSAEC). 80% of Filipino children are vulnerable to online sexual abuse, according to the “National Study on Online Sexual Abuse and Exploitation of Children in the Philippines” from 2020.
According to the 2022 Disrupting Harm Study conducted by UNICEF, ECPAT International, and Interpol, 20% of Internet-using Filipino children aged 12-17 were subjected to OSAEC. This represents an estimated 2 million children who have been victimized. Those are disturbing facts, and we, the conference hosts, see the need of strengthening our combat against online sexual abuse of children, to protect the children from abuse, to prevent abuse from being done, to better help victims of abuse and to strengthen the work in the field of prosecution of offenders. We also acknowledge the clear need of joining our forces and together strengthen the combat against sexual abuse of children.
The local government of Quezon City, Center for the Prevention and Treatment of Child Sexual Abuse (CPTCSA), Philippine Children’s Ministries Network (PCMN), Mission Alliance Philippines, Plan International Philippines and Royal Norwegian Embassy in Manila.