During the last meeting of the Inter-Parliamentary Union in October, the standing Committee on Democracy and Human Rights chose the goal ‘to have legislation on online child sexual exploitation in all countries worldwide’ as its next subject for a resolution. The Netherlands proposed the subject. Arda Gerkens (CEO of EOKM, which contains the INHOPE Dutch Hotline and Helpline) will be rapporteur with co rapporteurs Prof. Jacqueline Oduol (Childrens rights specialist) from Kenya and a MP from Thailand.

Arda Gerkens, is also a Senator of the Dutch Parliament and an active member of the Inter-Parliamentary Union (IPU). One of the standing committees of the IPU is the Standing Committee on Democracy and Human Right. Last October the Committee met during the assembly of the IPU in Belgrade. One of the goals of that meeting was to pick the next topic for a resolution of the committee. This resolution will then be drafted in the coming year and accepted autumn 2020. The Netherlands proposed this subject for a resolution, because of the concerns they have on the rise of online child sexual abuse.

Arda Gerkens: ‘All countries I spoke to, acknowledged the problem. From small island groups to big countries, they all struggle with this subject and recognise it to be a problem on the rise. I am happy that we can now work together in enhancing the knowledge amongst parliamentarians and creating opportunities to stimulate countries to draft legislation on online child sexual abuse.”