UK welcomes Honduras’ commitment to WePROTECT
The United Kingdom welcomes Honduras’ commitment to the WePROTECT Global Alliance, confirmed by a letter from the Acting Secretary of State, Jose Isaias Barahona.
The WePROTECT Global Alliance is an international movement, formed by more than 70 Governments, international agencies, civil society organisations and executives of the technology industry, dedicated to national and global action to end the sexual exploitation of children online. The United Kingdom is one of the founders of the Alliance.
The ministerial leadership of the Alliance will temporarily fall under the auspices of the Secretary of Human Rights, Justice, Interior and Decentralisation of Honduras. As from next year responsibilities will be held by the Secretary of State in the Bureau of Human Rights. Meanwhile, the Inter-Institutional Committee Against Sexual Exploitation and Modern Slavery (CICESCT) will coordinate efforts.
One of the immediate benefits for Honduras joining the Alliance will be access to experience, knowledge, techniques, and even resources that the members of the partnership put at its disposal. The UK Government contributed £40 million in 2015 to a fund hosted by UNICEF to deliver a global programme of capacity and capability building, giving priority to WePROTECT Global Alliance members.
To mark the announcement, a Honduran Government spokesperson said:
The Honduran state has the obligation to protect children; likewise kids will have the protection enshrined on international agreements. All of these precepts are guarded by our Constitution. For this reason, Honduras is willing to join all initiatives aimed at protecting children globally and we specially value this Alliance to combat violence and sexual exploitation online. It’s worth mentioning that Honduras has a group of institutions that already protect minors and by joining this Alliance, the country will strengthen its institutional capabilities to safeguard all children.
To mark the event, the British Ambassador to Honduras, Thomas Carter, said:
There can be no greater task than the protection of vulnerable children in our own countries and around the world. We owe it to all those who have lost their childhood to sexual exploitation – and those still at risk – to do everything in our power to protect them, including in the virtual space. I congratulate the authorities for this long-term commitment by Honduras.