(California, KY.) As part of our commitment to supporting vulnerable populations, Holly Hill recently responded to a United Nations request to contribute to the United Nations Office of Special Coordinator for Improving the UN’s Response to Sexual Exploitation and Abuse (OSCSEA).
Feedback and contribution were provided into the review of the Secretary-General’s Bulletin ST/SGB/2003/13 (“SGB 2003/13”). The SGB helps prevent and address sexual exploitation and sexual abuse by UN personnel.
Holly Hill’s contribution included that:
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- Additional language be incorporated, recognizing that sexual exploitation can occur via the use of technology to create, share, and spread images in exchange for gain (monetary or status).
- The United Nations overtly recognizes its role as an international leader in preventing sexual exploitation and trafficking.
- Language be incorporated emphasizing a victim-centric and trauma-informed approach to investigations of suspected sexual exploitation and trafficking. Victim’s rights and needs must also be prioritized.
About Holly Hill’s contribution:
With a specific specialization in supporting victims of Child Sexual Exploitation and Trafficking, Holly Hill is grateful to Special Coordinator USG Saunders and the United Nations Office of Special Coordinators for this opportunity to comment on the structure and substance of the SGB 2003/13 and ensure the policy properly protects one of the most vulnerable populations on our communities. Holly Hill is a nonprofit, civil society, community-based child welfare, and behavioral health organization based in the state of Kentucky, United States. We are a trauma-informed agency serving children and families for over 140 years. We are a leader in supporting children who have survived being sexually exploited and trafficked.
As a leader in supporting domestic victims of child sexual exploitation and trafficking in the United States and having supported children who have been sexually trafficked in international settings, Holly Hill recognizes that sexual exploitation and trafficking occurs across the globe, in wealthy countries in the West, in the Global South, in regions in post-war recovery and in the context of peacekeeping operations.
