Protecting children from sexual abuse requires tough action from governments, but also the mobilization of society as a whole, participants said at the third World Congress Against the Sexual Exploitation of Children (ECPAT) in Rio de Janeiro, dpa reported.
Ann Veneman, executive director of the UN children's fund UNICEF, said in an interview that Brazilian daily O Estado de Sao Paulo published Thursday that there is an atmosphere of social "condescension" in relation to the abuse that affects 150 million girls and 73 million boys around the world, according to Unicef estimates.
"Society allows that to happen because it looks the other way. It simply does not see, especially when the victims are children," Veneman said.
The ways to mobilize society and governments alike will be the central point of the Rio de Janeiro Declaration that is set to be made public Friday, when the congress ends.
Veneman further criticized condescension in relation to pornography, which is expanding around the world through the internet.
"It is not just a matter for governments, but for the participation of companies that work with images that children have access to. A culture of condescension with pornography is created. That issue has to be attacked by society, not just the government," she stressed.
Veneman further called for the dismantling of the trade in children and the practice of marriage of children.
"Children are taken by their parents to be married, sometimes as young as nine. All this creates several forms of sexual exploitation," she noted.
The rising incidence of child pornography in the internet came under intense criticism during the congress.
"Parents and children must better prepare themselves for the risks posed by the internet," Veneman said late Wednesday, the second day of the congress in Rio de Janeiro running through Friday.
Veneman added that "damaging cultural practices" also had to be eradicated in the battle against sexual exploitation of children.
Italian Minister for Equal Opportunity Mara Garfagna stressed that it was "very important to put a stop to the new kinds of crime which result from the new technologies."
Garfagna noted, among the innovative efforts being made in Italy, the country's national centre to fight against child pornography in the internet.
Among others, the centre under the auspices of the Italian Interior Ministry compiles a blacklist of internet users.
"I am convinced that the third congress here in Rio will result in many fruitful ideas for reflection and action," Garfagna said.
Sweden's Queen Silvia, in her remarks, called child pornography in the internet a great danger which had to be opposed. The queen, who heads the World Childhood Foundation, noted that sexual exploitation of children had many facets, all of which were "equally shocking."
Amiohan Abueva, director of the ECPAT working group, and Irish human rights laywer Muireann O'Brian demanded quicker action and more cross-border cooperation.
"It is often very easy to put the things down on paper, but we must act," Abueva said.
Some 3,000 experts, as well as government and business representatives from 114 countries around the world are participating in the congress in Rio.
Among other demands, ECPAT wants each corporation and institution to set up child protection guidelines in order to prevent employees from downloading child pornography on their workplace computers.