A major aim of the Assembly was to develop the technical expertise of ECPAT member groups in methodologies and techniques to protect children from commercial sexual exploitation. This was done through the exchange of best practices and experiences during workshops and panel discussions on subjects including youth participation in fighting CSEC; care standards and therapeutic services; cyberspace, technology and CSEC; demand for sex with children; prostitution of boys; implementing and monitoring national plans of action; trafficking and CSEC; campaigning; and domestic child labour.

ECPAT was honoured to have Professor Paulo Sergio Pinhero, the United Nations Independent Expert, leader of the UN Secretary-General’s Special Study on Violence against Children and Special Rapporteur on the situation of Human Rights in Myanmar, give the Assembly’s keynote speech. During his speech, Mr. Pinhero discussed the magnitude of the UN Study on Violence against Children, the Committee on the Rights of the Child and other key human rights committees, and stressed the important role of ECPAT in contributing to these and other relevant international bodies.