27.11.2025

On 18 November, a conference titled “Strengthening the Protection of Children against Sexual Exploitation and Sexual Abuse through Evidence-Based Policy Making” was held in Chisinau, the capital of the Republic of Moldova, within the framework of cooperation between the Government of Moldova and the Council of Europe.

A representative of the Main Department on Combating Trafficking in Human Beings at the Ministry of Internal Affairs of the Republic of Azerbaijan participated in the conference.

Panel discussions and seminars were held on the following topics: “Evidence-Based Policy Making,” “Using Databases of Barnahus and Other Multidisciplinary and Inter-Agency Service Institutions for Policy and Practical Purposes,” “Development of Data Systems, Information Exchange with Various Institutions, and Methods of Accessing International Databases,” and “International Sexual Offenders: Strengthening Policies to Prevent Cross-Border Reoffending.” Presentations were delivered on the following themes: “What Does Evidence-Based Policy Mean?”, “What Type of Data Systems Are Required?”, and “How Do Countries Implement This in Practice?”

From 19 to 21 November, the 46th Meeting of the Lanzarote Committee was held. As a result of previous discussions conducted with the participation of Committee representatives, the report titled “Protection of Children against Sexual Exploitation and Sexual Abuse in the Circle of Trust: Report of the Participating States” was announced, and representatives of the participating states expressed their views on the final report. A general summary of the report was delivered, and discussions were held on the measures to be undertaken by countries in this area and the procedures for the Committee’s monitoring of these activities.

During the subsequent session, a brief overview of the meetings held by the Lanzarote Committee throughout 2025 was provided, along with a report prepared by the Secretariat of the Convention regarding the activities carried out by the Committee during the current year.

Thereafter, discussions were held within the panel titled “Capacity Building, Information Exchange, Practical Challenges, and Learning from Good Practices,” focusing on the topic “Information on Activities Undertaken by Members, Participants, and Observers.”

At the conclusion of the meeting, the Lanzarote Committee’s meeting schedule for 2026 was discussed and approved.