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United Nations Special Rapporteurs' Questionnaire On Demand in Trafficking & Prostitution

September 2005

Reply to the Office of the UN High Commissioner for Human Rights OHCHR – Jan Hessbruegge - jhessbruegge@ohchr.org

UN Special Rapporteur on Trafficking in Persons, Especially Women & Children
UN Special Rapporteur on the Sale of Children, Child Prostitution, & Child Pornography

Request for information for the preparation of the joint report of the Special Rapporteur on sale of children, child prostitution and child pornography and the Special Rapporteur on trafficking in persons, especially women and children Questionnaire on demand for services deriving from sexual exploitation.

Scope and Extent of Demand

1. Which forms of sexually exploitative services that are linked to trafficking in persons (e.g. forced prostitution) have you noticed to exist in your country? Are you aware of whether nationals from your country solicit sexually exploitative services in other countries? Please give a summary of available information.

2. Please provide available estimates on how many people in your country solicit services that derive from sexual exploitation. Please also provide available estimates on how many people from your country solicit these services abroad. If possible, disaggregate these estimates by sex and age as well as by the types of services that are sought.

Factors Creating or Increasing Demand

3. Please provide available information on which factors, attitudes or policies create or increase demand for services that derive from sexual exploitation. For instance, please provide available information on possible links between military deployment and the demand for sexually exploitative services.

Strategies to Eradicate or Decrease Demand

4. Please provide available information on which strategies are pursued by the government of your country, the private sector and/or civil society to eradicate or reduce the demand for sexually exploitative services. Did these strategies also have an impact on trafficking in persons?

5. Please provide available information on whether and how your country penalizes persons who solicit sexually exploitative services.

Are criminal proceedings initiated ex officio or only upon a complaint of the victim?

What penalties does the law provide for?

What measures are in place to protect the victims during the criminal process?

Please provide available statistics concerning criminal proceedings initiated, persons convicted and penalties imposed.

Please provide information on the differences in the legislation if victims are adult or children and if the crime is committed abroad. 6. Please provide information on whether persons who solicit sexually exploitative services face any non-criminal penalties (e.g. disciplinary measures).

7. Please provide available information on the effect of education or awareness campaigns by the government of your country, the private sector or civil society that aim to decrease demand for sexually exploitative services.

8. Is there any experience in your country on whether criminalizing, tolerating, legalizing, or regulating prostitution has any effect on demand for sexually exploitative services? What has been the effect on the victims? Has it impacted trafficking in persons?

9. Please provide any other information that you deem relevant with regard to demand for sexually exploitative services, the impact of demand on trafficking, and demand reduction initiatives.

Please submit responses to:

Jan Hessbruegge
Special Procedures Branch
jhessbruegge@ohchr.org