On 25 June 2024, stakeholders of the "End Online Child Sexual Exploitation and Abuse@Europe Plus" (EndOCSEA@Europe+) project gathered in Strasbourg for the first workshop since its launch in September last year. The project aims to support authorities and professionals in the three focus countries – Georgia, Republic of Moldova and Montenegro – in actively preventing and combating online child sexual exploitation and abuse (OCSEA) in line with the Council of Europe Convention on the Protection of Children against Sexual Exploitation and Sexual Abuse (Lanzarote Convention) and the Council of Europe Convention on Cybercrime (Budapest Convention).

The event offered a platform for National Advisory Board members to discuss the main findings and recommendations of the ongoing gap analyses of legislation, policies and practice to prevent and combat OCSEA with international and national experts, for each project focus country.

Participants had a fruitful exchange with the Lanzarote Committee Secretariat on strengthening national frameworks to better protect children from sexual exploitation and sexual abuse facilitated by ICTs, and to learn more about the Cybercrime Convention and its 2nd Additional Protocol on enhanced co-operation and disclosure of electronic evidence. Representatives from INHOPE, WeProtect Global Alliance, and Protect Children were also present to showcase innovative international initiatives and research.

Feedback received will be incorporated in the gap analysis of each focus country to be finalised by the end of August 2024. These analyses will inform further legislative and policy reforms necessary to strengthen prevention and protection of children from online sexual exploitation and sexual abuse in line with international standards.

Future project activities will include building capacities of both legal and frontline professionals working with children in the fight against OCSEA and raising awareness of child sexual abuse among the wider public. The goal is to improve the support and handling of procedures concerning child victims of OCSEA and to ensure effective multi-disciplinary co-operation and response.

The Council of Europe gratefully acknowledges the financial support provided for this programme by Safe Online.

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