Japan will cohost an international conference in Yokohama next week to reconfirm an international commitment to eliminate the sexual exploitation of children, according to the Foreign Ministry.
The commitment will be part of a declaration to be drawn up at the end of the four-day Second World Congress against Commercial Sexual Exploitation of Children starting Monday, a ministry official said.
The ministry said the event -- to include representatives from the government, international organizations, nongovernmental organizations and the private sector -- will also be an opportunity for Japan to review its own action plan on the issue. As the host country, Japan will report the results of the forum before a special U.N. session on children scheduled for 2002.