Marie Saine Firdaus, Attorney General and Secretary of state for Justice has said that The Gambia is not immune to child prostitution and child pornography committed against children, therefore The Gambia needs to protect children.

SoS Firdaus made this remarks on Wednesday while tabling before National Assembly Members to ratify the Optional Protocol to the Convention on the Rights of the Child on the Sale of Children, child prostitution and child pornography entered into force on the 18th January 2002 in Geneva, Switzerland.

The objective of the protocol was to provide a holistic appraoch to combat these global problems because they posed a significant threst to the physical, mental, spiritual, moral and social development of children and therefore, hampered their full enjoyment of the protection accorded to them by the CRC.

Tabling the protocol before NAMs, SoS Saine-Firdaus said the protocol defines what constitute sale of children, child prostitution and child pornography and obligates state parties to and enact laws to prohibit and criminalise at a minimum, the sale of children for purposes of forced labour or marriage, illegal adoption, sexual exploitation or transfer of organs, child prostitution and child pornography.

According to her, the protocol to the convention was adopted in 2000 by the General Assembly of the United Nations due to global concern for the widespread of sex tourism, the growing availability of child pornography on the internet and other technologies, the significant increase in child trafficking for prostitution, pornography and other forms of exploitation internationally.

She added that, the protocol also provides for the trial and punishment of perpetrators of these offence whether they are committed domestically or across borders by individuals and legal persons and the liability of these perpetrators can be criminal, civil or administrative. "It also obligates stat parties to cooperate at bilateral, regional and multilateral levels to fight this scourage through the use of extradition and mutual legal assistance agreement.

It also provides other preventive measures to be undertaken such as sensitisation, education and training programmes which shall involve the full participation of the community. It as well requires state parties to provide the necessary protection and assistance needed for child victims throughout the criminal trial and rehabilitation processes" she said.

The protocol she however noted, seeks to give effect to the provision of the CRC which recognises the child's right to be protected from economic and sexual exploitation and other forms of exploitation that will affect his or her growth and development. She then observed that, as a major tourist destination with a large population of young children, studies have confirmed that, The Gambia is not immune to these vices being committed against its children.