Public Opinion is Clear: Urgent Legislation Required to Protect Children from Sexual Exploitation! Read the story

Members

ECPAT Colombia works to promote and defend children’s rights, especially child victims of commercial sexual exploitation. The group has worked in vulnerable communities and with educational institutions in the cities of Barranquilla, Bogota and Cartagena de Indias, becoming a leader in CSEC prevention and awareness-raising for youth in the country. The group, with the help of Fundación Renacer, has focused its work on two areas: prevention and awareness and youth participation in public policy. In the area of prevention and awareness, activities undertaken include: the creation of an ECPAT Youth Group for CSEC prevention; training children and youth on CSEC issues; recreational activities with child victims as part of social reintegration; and awareness-raising workshops for parents in communities vulnerable to CSEC.

ECPAT Colombia/ Fundación Renacer

Contact: Mrs. Luz Stella Cardenas Ovalle
Phone: +57 1 2486542, +57 1 8050217
Address: Calle 76 BIS, No 20C-51, Santa Fe de Bogotá
Email: fundacionrenacer@fundacionrenacer.org
Website: http://www.fundacionrenacer.org

Facts

Children in prostitution is the most common form of SEC in Colombia. Children can be found with offenders in public places, mainly on the streets and in shelters.

One of the worst implications of the on-going, half-century long conflict between the Colombian government and several guerrilla groups is the high demand for children in order to satisfy the sexual needs of fighters or to obtain confidential information from members of the public in exchange for sexual favours.

Resources

ECPAT International
Child protection standards in the travel and tourism industry: the experience of Mexico and Colombia

Year: 2024

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ECPAT International
Protective Environments: a model to prevent child sexual exploitation in travel and tourism context — Colombia case study and Costa Rican experiences

Year: 2023

ECPAT International
Global Boys Initiative Case Study: Colombia

Year: 2023

ECPAT International
Latin America – Summary of Recommendations: Legal Interventions in Latin America

Year: 2022

ECPAT International
The Americas – Preventing the sexual exploitation of children in travel and tourism (GARA)

Year: 2022

GARA, ECPAT International & Inter-American Children’s Institute (IIN-OEA)
The Americas – Protocolo y Decálogo para Guías de Turismo 2022 (GARA)

Year: 2022

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Stories

News from Colombia

Indicators

Age of Consent

Not Yet Assessed

Extraterritoriality & Extradition

Partial

Active and passive extraterritoriality is provided for all crimes punished with at least one year of imprisonment (including all SEC-related crimes) but only when the perpetrator is in Colombian territory. Universal jurisdiction is applied to all crimes punished with at least three years of imprisonment (excluding political crimes) when the perpetrator is in Colombian territory and for which a request for extradition has been denied. Double criminality is not required.

Extradition requires a minimum gravity of four years of imprisonment as well as an official indictment or equivalent resolution to have been issued by the requesting country. Double criminality is also required.

SECTT Legal Checklist Colombia, 2020

CSAM Definition

Not Yet Assessed

Background Check Required

Yes

The national legislation establishes a mandatory background check requirement for every person hired for a job, position or profession in the private or public sector that involves direct and usual relationship with minors. This rule also applies for volunteers. The background check is also required for people working in the restaurant and tourism sector in customer-facing positions. This law also prohibits convicted sex offenders to hold positions in both public and private settings involving or facilitating contact with children.

SECTT Legal Checklist Colombia, 2020

National Commitments

Partial

Colombia has ratified the CRC, the OPSC, the Trafficking Protocol and the ILO Convention No. 182.

Colombia has also ratified the Council of Europe’s Budapest Convention.

Colombia has not ratified the OPIC, the UNWTO Framework Convention on Tourism Ethics nor the Council of Europe’s Lanzarote Convention.

SECTT Legal Checklist Colombia, 2020

Child Advocacy Centers

Not Yet Assessed

SEC Police Unit

Not Yet Assessed

Protection Standards Travel and Tourism

Yes

Colombia has implemented a national code for child protection in travel and tourism as a binding requirement for industry operators.

SECTT Legal Checklist Colombia, 2020

Public SEC Case Data

Not Yet Assessed