site.btaForeign Minister Mitov Makes Statement on European Day for the Protection of Children against Sexual Exploitation

Foreign Minister Mitov Makes Statement on European Day for the Protection of Children against Sexual Exploitation

Strasbourg, November 18 (BTA) - "Today is the first European Day
 for the Protection of Children against Sexual Exploitation and
Sexual Abuse. The protection of children is a priority for the
Bulgarian Chairmanship of the Committee of Ministers of the
Council of Europe. We are therefore particularly pleased to
support this initiative," reads a statement by Bulgarian Foreign
 Minister Daniel Mitov in his capacity as Chairman of the
Committee of Ministers of the Council of Europe, the
organization said on Wednesday.

It is also an opportunity to recall Europe's commitment to
combat these crimes, notably through the Council of Europe
Convention on the Protection of Children against Sexual
Exploitation and Sexual Abuse - "the Lanzarote Convention" -
which requires the criminalisation of all kinds of sexual
offences against children, reads the statement. "We call on the
nine member States that have not yet ratified the Convention, to
 consider doing so."

"We must also promote national actions and initiatives with a
view to raising public awareness of child sex abuse, to break
taboos and barriers and to strengthen the protection of
children.   To do this, all of us - governments,
parliamentarians, NGOs, professionals working with children and
the public at large - must take ownership of the European Day,
by taking action together," the statement concludes.