In framework of permanent cooperation with United Nations’ bodies and agencies, our Association sent submission to UN Special Rapporteur on the sale and sexual exploitation of children Fatima Singhateh for her report on child-centered response to sexual exploitation of children to the 80th session of the UN General Assembly.
ARC’s submission, published at official UN web-sources this June, stressed that the Crimea-located criminal groups that use child sexual abuse and child trafficking in the peninsuils, including sexual exploitation of children in street situations, were subordinated and closely cooperate with the Russian de-facto “authorities”, which control illegal “child protection services” for last decade.
ARC’s submission stressed again to UN officials that the participation of the Crimean organised criminal groups in sexual exploitation of youth, posed additional challenges to the identification of victims as there are no effective remedies in the occupied peninsula as a “grey zone”, and illegal “child protection services”, created in the Crimea by aggressor after 2014, never reacted on those challenges.
ARC’s submission reminded again about forms of illegal servitude and slavery of such children, including their sexual exploitation in street situations, of deported children in the Crimea.
ARC proposed to UN Rapporteur to pay special attention on aspects of sanctions’ control, nature of violations, adequacy of current protections and remedies, barriers to effective protection and recommendations for strengthened protection and accountability for children and their families, who are victims of slavery, enforced labor and children trafficking, including sexual exploitation of children in street situations, illegal behaviour of “child protection services” in conditions of war conflicts and foreign occupation.
Association reminded to UN that the main challenge for access to remedies of violation Ukrainian children’s rights, for victims, that are still under the Russian control in Russia and at Russia-occupied territories, is in common contradiction of any practical negotiation efforts to free children from Russian control, and in potential start of any national or international proceedings against Russian officials and illegal “child protection services”, who kidnapped and deported those children: any legal steps in such area de-facto block negotiations as Russia uses those children as hostages.
ARC’s submission added that the demands of Rome Statute, Geneva Conventions and Protocols to them in issues of countering the children trafficking must be taken in account, executing sanctions’ mechanisms, regarding conditions of the hostilities, interstate conflicts, aggressions, foreign occupation, war crimes and crimes against humanity committed against children.
