Washington, D.C., April 6, 2000

PRESS ADVISORY

 

Contact: Carmen Lomellin, Executive Secretary

(202) 458-6084

 

Experts Examine Problem of Trafficking of Women and Children for Sexual Exploitation

 

Experts will meet at the Organization of American States (OAS) next week in Washington, D.C., to examine the problem of the trafficking of women and children for sexual exploitation in some countries of the Americas.

The OAS Inter-American Commission of Women (CIM) and the Inter-American Children's Institute (ICI), in partnership with the International Human Rights Law Institute (IHRLI) at DePaul University College of Law in Chicago, are sponsoring the meeting. It will take place on April 11, from 9:00 a.m. to 5:30 p.m. in the Padilha Vidal Room, 1889 F Street, N.W., Washington.

A press conference on this issue will take place April 12 at 11 a.m. at the main OAS building, at 17^th St. and Constitution Ave. NW.

A pilot study, headed by DePaul’s International Human Rights Law Institute, is being conducted to determine the extent to which women and children in the region are subject to being sold or traded for commercial sexual exploitation, including pornography, prostitution or "sexual tourism." The study focuses on eight countries in the Americas: Argentina, Brazil, Colombia, Costa Rica, Dominican Republic, Jamaica, Mexico and Uruguay. Other countries may be added in the near future.

The long-term goal is to bring about effective domestic legislation to stop the commercial sexual exploitation of women and children, and to create an inter-American convention that commits the countries of the hemisphere to end this type of human rights abuse.

"The lack of effective international instruments, domestic legislation and political will to halt the trafficking problem gives urgency to this nearly uncontrolled phenomenon", said IHRLI President M. Cherif Bassiouni, who is heading the research.

 

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