The UN Committee on the Rights of the Child is preparing Guidelines on the implementation of the Optional Protocol to the Convention on the Rights of the Child on the sale of children, child prostitution and child pornography (OPSC). The guidelines advise governments on how to adapt the OPSC’s provisions to today’s realities.
The implementation of the OPSC is relevant to street children as their life on the street leaves them particularly vulnerable to sexual abuse and exploitation. For this reason, Consortium for Street Children, with the support of our network members Cities for Children, StreetInvest and Zambuko House, have sent a joint submission to the Committee on the Rights of the Child. The submission details how the unique situation of street children makes them vulnerable to sexual abuse or exploitation, and delivers recommendations on how the Committee on the Rights of the Child can ensure the experiences of street children are accounted for in the drafting process for the new guidelines.
