On 8 July 2024, the Philippines has become the 70th country to connect to INTERPOL’s International Child Sexual Exploitation (ICSE) database. INTERPOL, in the framework of the GLACY-e joint project of the European Union and the Council of Europe, organised a five-day training program that connected the Philippines to the ICSE database and provided training on the use of the International Child Sexual Exploitation Database (ICSE) and Victim Identification.
The training was delivered by INTERPOL’s Crimes against Children (CAC) Unit during 8-12 July 2024 in Manila, Philippines. Twelve law enforcement officers with responsibility for investigation of OCSEA participated in the training program from the National Center Bureau (NCB), Women and Children Protection Centre (WCPC) of the Philippines National Police (PNP), National Bureau of Investigation Anti Human Trafficking Division (NBIATHRAD) from the Department of Justice (DoJ) and AntiCyber Crime Group (ACG) of Philippines National Police.
ICSE has been operational since 2009 and is a powerful intelligence and investigation tool. It offers specialised investigators worldwide instant access to data and tools for upload and analysis of seized child sexual exploitation material (CSEM). The database is accessed via INTERPOL's global secure network - I-24/7, which links INTERPOL's National Central Bureaus in all member countries. The ICSE database is designed to aid and enhance investigations by reducing the risk for duplicate and repeated investigation, intelligence enhancement, and data sharing with specialised colleagues in participating authorities.
Through the GLACY-e project, the Council of Europe and the European Union will continue to provide support to the Philippines as one of the hub countries in Asia, will monitor the data and assess the impact after connecting to the ICSE database.
GLACY-e project webpage