Statement by India under Agenda Item 3, ID with Special Rapporteur on the sale, sexual exploitation and sexual abuse of children, at the 61st Session of the Human Rights Council (23 February – 31 March 2026), delivered by Mr. Sudheer K.J.,
First Secretary, Permanent Mission of India
Geneva, 09 March 2026
Mr. President,
We have taken note of the report presented by the SR and strongly shares the urgency on tackling the sale, sexual exploitation and sexual abuse of children in both the digital and offline worlds.
In India, our constitutional guarantees for children are backed by the Protection of Children from Sexual Offences Act 2012, which criminalizes a wide range of offences, establishes special courts, and mandates child‑friendly procedures so that seeking justice does not itself become a source of trauma.
In the online sphere, the Information Technology Act 2000 provides the framework to act against child sexual abuse material and require intermediaries to exercise due diligence and cooperate with law‑enforcement.
India has also set up dedicated mechanisms such as the Indian Cyber Crime Coordination Centre and the National Cyber Crime Reporting Portal to make it easier to report, trace and investigate cases of technology‑facilitated abuse. Institutions like the National Commission for Protection of Child Rights, along with tools such as the POCSO e‑Box and national tracking platforms, help identify, rescue and support children at risk.
Mr. President,
Through continuous training of officials and large‑scale awareness and digital‑literacy efforts, India is determined not just to respond to abuses of children when it occurs, but to push back the frontier of risk itself, to ensure that every child is safer, online and offline, every single day.
Thank you.
