Media advisories Special Procedures

Special Rapporteur on sale, sexual exploitation and sexual abuse of children to visit UAE

11 April 2025

GENEVA – The UN Special Rapporteur on the sale, sexual exploitation and sexual abuse of children, Mama Fatima Singhateh, will conduct a country visit to the United Arab Emirates (UAE) from 14 to 24 April 2025.

Singhateh will examine the protection of children from sale, sexual exploitation and abuse, including child-trafficking for sexual exploitation or commercial purposes, online child sexual abuse, sexual exploitation and abuse of children in the circle of trust and other settings in light of international human rights norms and standards.

Singhateh will start her visit in Abu Dhabi before travelling to other Emirates. She will meet with Government officials and representatives of international organisations, civil society organisations and academia. She will also meet with children, including child victims and survivors.

The Special Rapporteur will hold a press conference to share her preliminary observations on Thursday, 24 April at 15.00 local time at the St. Regis Hotel in Abu Dhabi. Access will be strictly limited to journalists.

She will present a comprehensive report of her country visit to the UN Human Rights Council in March 2026.

Ms. Mama Fatima Singhateh is the UN Special Rapporteur on the sale, sexual exploitation and sexual abuse of children.

Special Rapporteurs are part of what is known as the Special Procedures of the Human Rights Council. Special Rapporteurs/Independent Experts/Working Groups are independent human rights experts appointed by the United Nations Human Rights Council. Together, these experts are referred to as the Special Procedures of the Human Rights Council. Special Procedures experts work on a voluntary basis; they are not UN staff and do not receive a salary for their work. While the UN Human Rights office acts as the secretariat for Special Procedures, the experts serve in their individual capacity and are independent from any government or organization, including OHCHR and the UN. Any views or opinions presented are solely those of the author and do not necessarily represent those of the UN or OHCHR.

Country-specific observations and recommendations by the UN human rights mechanisms, including the special procedures, the treaty bodies and the Universal Periodic Review, can be found on the Universal Human Rights Index https://uhri.ohchr.org/en/

UN Human Rights, country page – United Arab Emirates

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