The First Lady of Sierra Leone Fatima Bio has on Monday 7 November 2022 introduced a Draft Resolution to Declare November 18 the “World Day for the Prevention of, and Healing from Child Sexual Exploitation, Abuse and Violence” at the UN General Assembly.

The said Resolution was unanimously adopted by the United Nations General Assembly on Monday 7th November 2022.

This groundbreaking resolution was initiated by Sierra Leone in collaboration with Nigeria to declare November 18 the “World Day for the Prevention of, and Healing from Child Sexual Exploitation, Abuse and Violence”.

At the heart of the resolution is the need, among other things, to establish and implement an annual universal mechanism to promote and reinforce greater awareness, commitment and responsibility of the world body, governments, international organizations, and civil society toward safeguarding the dignity of children as well as ensuring their right to live free from violence and to end exploitation, abuse, trafficking, torture and all forms of violence and harmful practices against children.

While Introducing the draft resolution at the UN General Assembly under agenda item 131 – “Sexual Exploitation and Abuse: Implementing a Zero-Tolerance Policy”, Fatima Bio conveyed a message of best wishes from President Julius Maada Bio, adding that her participation in the plenary meeting was a testament to the importance the president and the government attach to the concerns of women, children and the marginalized.

She reminded the General Assembly that children, especially girls have continued to endure greater risk of the scourge of forced sex and sexual exploitation with all the related crimes ranging from abuse, violence to chronic and life-threatening diseases.

In thanking all the delegations that joined in the co-sponsorship of the draft resolution, and the entire General Assembly for the resounding adoption of the resolution, the First Lady called on the world body to mobilize the necessary political will and the provision of much-needed resources to address the menace and protect women and girls and other vulnerable sectors of society.

She also called for the enhancement of laws that protect children in their homes, online, and in their communities and to bring perpetrators of these heinous crimes to justice.

Fatima Bio further reminded the august Assembly that preventing child sexual abuse is an emergency which is do-able and requires a multisectoral approach. She appealed to governments, international organizations, and civil society to support parents; help teach positive parenting skills and increase the awareness among every stakeholder to build a strong coalition to combat child sexual exploitation, abuse, and violence.

The First Lady concluded by commending the General Assembly for declaring the 18th November as World Day for the Prevention of, and Healing from Child Sexual Exploitation, Abuse and Violence, adding that it was a bold step toward the raising of increasing awareness of Child Sexual Abuse with regularity and on a global scale.