United Nations

This Optional Protocol was adopted by the UN General Assembly on May 25, 2000 and entered into force on June 18, 2002. The aim of the protocol is to eradicate the sale of children, child prostitution and child pornography, and foster international cooperation in bringing the perpetrators of these crimes to justice. The preamble of the protocol identifies the girl child as particularly vulnerable to, and disproportionately affected by, sexual exploitation.

The Durban Declaration and Programme of Action is the outcome document from the 2001 United Nations World Conference Against Racism. It includes a call for governments to identify and address the the intersection of gender and racism. It recognizes that women and girls frequently experience racism and xenophobia differently, as they are subject to discrimination on grounds of their sex in addition to their race.

The Declaration and Platform for Action (PFA) is the outcome document from the Fourth World Conference on Women held in Beijing in 1995. The PFA comprehensively identifies the rights of women and asks governments to commit to protecting these rights. It identifies 12 critical areas of concern and sets out strategic objectives and actions.

The World Conference on Human Rights, held in 1993, adopted by consensus the Vienna Declaration and Programme of Action. The Conference took historic new steps to promote and protect the rights of women, children and indigenous peoples. The Vienna Declaration reaffirms international human rights principles and specifically emphasizes women's rights in various provisions and in a section on "the equal status and human rights of women".