The Convention on the Rights of the Child and the Optional Protocol to the Convention on the Rights of the Child on the sale of children, child prostitution, and child pornography give rise to a legal framework for child protection against sexual violence.

Likewise, the international community has been actively responsive in this connection, and therefore mention should be made to the Declaration and Agenda for Action against Sexual Exploitation adopted at the First World Congress against Commercial Sexual Exploitation of Children held in Stockholm in 1996.

Within such context, the Inter-American Children's Institute (IIN), in its capacity as a Specialized Organization of the Organization of American States (OAS) working on children and the family, adhered to the interest and concern of the Member States about CSEC and undertook an active work on this issue.

On 7 June, 1999, the General Assembly, as the highest organ of the Organization of American States, adopted Resolution AG/RES. 1667 (XXIX-O/99) where it provides: “To instruct the Inter-American Children’s Institute to prepare an annual report, to be submitted to the Secretary General of the Organization of American States, describing the steps taken by the member states to combat the commercial and other sexual exploitation of children and adolescents."

The following are the reports submitted to the Secretary General: