A/HRC/22/54 19. The sexual exploitation of children affects an estimated 2 million children worldwide each year.4 However the actual scale of CST is not known due to a lack of existing research and availability of data on the victims and perpetrators. For instance, out of the 35 State contributions received for this report, only four States were able to share some data on prosecutions. The information received was mainly on trafficking and violence. The lack of understanding and misperception of the issue by key actors also implies that CST cases are often not classified as such, which contributes to the shortage of information. The criminal nature of the activity and the fear of the negative repercussions that such disclosures may have on the tourism development also represent major challenges in accessing information.5 The large majority of cases are undoubtedly never reported. 20. In addition, no thorough and comprehensive study on the scope and impact of child sex tourism has been undertaken at national levels. The sporadic information on victims and perpetrators obtained by the Special Rapporteur through NGOs or United Nations entities was outdated, concerned only some particular regions of a country or referred to some isolated cases. These data could not be used to illustrate the current scope of the phenomenon at the global level. 21. Some law enforcement agencies provide information on perpetrators. The Child Exploitation and Online Protection Centre (CEOP) reported, for example, that between 2008 and 2012 a total of 457 United Kingdom nationals were arrested overseas. 6 At the beginning of 2011, CEOP received 61 notifications regarding British nationals arrested abroad for offences related to child sexual abuse in 2011.7 Interpol has overall noted an increase in travelling child sex offenders.8 Origin and destination countries 22. Although CST tends to occur more commonly in developing countries, this phenomenon can occur anywhere in the world and no country or tourism destination is exempt. Between the supply generated by low income countries and the demand from industrialized countries, the choice of the destination depends on languages and connections, but also preferences and tastes. While Western Europeans would tend to travel to Eastern Europe to exploit children, 18 out of 50 (36 per cent) American CST cases between 2003 and 2006 involved crimes committed in Mexico.9 According to ECPAT, as a result of the closer contact with Western European countries and the increase in tourism, Estonia has had to contend with the major problem of human trafficking to the West and the growing issue of sexual exploitation of children in tourism. Child sex tourists are particularly attracted to places where their activities will go unnoticed and their motives unsuspected, like countries or communities in crisis, and where the risk is small. 10 23. Countries of origin of international child sex tourists vary depending on the regions, but the demand is usually recognized as coming from the industrialized countries, including the richer countries of Europe, North America, the Russian Federation, Japan, Australia and 4 5 6 7 8 9 10 6 UNICEF, “Factsheet on Commercial Sexual Exploitation and Trafficking of Children”, p. 1. ECPAT International, Combating Child Sex Tourism. See CEOP, “ACRO and CEOP launch the International Child Protection Certificate”, press release, October 2012. Available from www.acro.police.uk/acro_std.aspx?id=467. CEOP, “Threat Assessment of Child Sexual Exploitation and Abuse” (London, 2012). Information available from www.interpol.int/Crime-areas/Crimes-against-children/Sex-offenders. Information from the Protection Project of the Paul H. Nitze School of Advanced International Studies of John Hopkins University, 2007. Muireann O’Briain, Sexual exploitation of children and adolescents in tourism, thematic paper submitted by ECPAT International as a contribution to the World Congress II against the Sexual Exploitation of Children and Adolescents, 2008, p. 9.