On January 20th and 21st, the 12th annual conference of the Global Missing Children’s Network will take place online. This international event will see the participation of Telefono Azzurro, together with the Italian Police, the International Center for Missing & Exploited Children, and the US Central Authority. The discussion will focus on the most innovative responses to the new challenges and problems related to missing children and children who are the victims of trafficking and exploitation.

In Italy, from 1st January 1974 to 30th June 2020, 131,802 reports of missing children were filed: of these, 86,774 were found and 45,028 are still to be found. Most of them (around 70%) are foreign minors of the male gender, aged between 15 and 17. In 2019, there were 8,331 missing child reports, of which 5,376 were foreign and 2,955 were Italian.

During the conference, several issues will be addressed. First, the Italian Police and Telefono Azzurro will present their action in favor of missing children. Then, Telefono Azzurro will explain what impact COVID-19 has had on the phenomenon of missing children, as witnessed by the hotline 116000 - European Hotline for Missing Children - managed in Italy by Telefono Azzurro. Furthermore, the conference will discuss innovative aspects such as the new technologies capable of helping unaccompanied foreign minors. Finally, the discussion will focus on the international definition of 'missing children' and good practices for preventing and responding to cases of international abduction of children and adolescents.