Armenia yesterday became the 47th state to complete the ratification of the Council of Europe’s Convention on Protection of Children against Sexual Exploitation and Sexual Abuse, which will enter into force in the country from 1 January 2021.

The Lanzarote Convention has now been ratified by every Council of Europe member state except Ireland, as well as by Tunisia. Ireland signed the convention in October 2007.

Christel de Craim, chair of the Lanzarote Committee that monitors the implementation of the Convention, said: “The Lanzarote Convention is making a big difference helping governments across Europe and beyond to work together to tackle child sexual exploitation and abuse. Ireland is the one last missing piece of the jigsaw in Europe.”

The Lanzarote Convention obliges states to criminalise all kinds of sexual offences against children, including online, to protect victims and to prosecute perpetrators. It also requests countries, inter alia, to ensure that the statute of limitation for initiating proceedings regarding sexual offences against children continues for a period of time sufficient to allow the efficient start of proceedings after the victim has reached the age of majority.