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Ukranian National Consultation on the Commercial
Sexual Exploitation of Children
Kiev, Ukraine
4 March 2004
A national consultation in Ukraine on gathered together
representatives of several Ministries and international and non-governmental
organisations to discuss how to tackle the increasing problem of commercial
sexual exploitation of children in the country. The consultation has been
organised by child rights advocacy group ECPAT International, in cooperation
with local NGOs.
Research shows that of all those engaged in prostitution
in the country, 11% are girls aged between 12 and 15, and 20% are aged
16 to 17. Furthermore, 18% of street children in Ukraine have been victims
of sexual violence and sexual exploitation. A mere 10% of the parents
of children who run away from home actually try to find their children.
Border regulations facilitate trafficking of children
Ukraine is also a major supplier and transit country of
children trafficked for sexual purposes. According to International Organization
for Migration reports, 10% of all trafficking victims who are known to
return to Ukraine are aged 12 to 18. Trafficking of Ukrainian children
is a relatively easy operation because of inappropriate agreements reached
between Ukraine and border countries Russia, Moldova and Belarus. According
to the current Visa-Free Travel Regime applicable to children under 16,
only a child’s birth certificate needs to be presented before a
child is allowed to cross these borders legally. However, these certificates
do not carry photos, and it is easy for traffickers to take children across
borders using another child’s certificate. This also hampers preventive
action to stop trafficking of children from Ukraine through these countries
to the neighbouring Commonwealth of Independent States (CIS).
Trafficking networks operate through key border cities,
port cities and large metropolitan areas in Ukraine such as Kyiv, Donetsk,
Odesa, Sevastopol, Dnipropetrovsk and Yalta, and nearby countries including
Turkey, Yugoslavia, Russian Federation, Poland, Italy and Germany. Very
often the purpose of trafficking of children in and out of Ukraine is
to supply local and foreign sex industries.
The
Ukranian report 
(441 KB)
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