The claim

The UN and the International Commission of Jurists (ICJ) have published a report calling for the decriminalization of sexual relationships between adults and minors.

Our conclusion

This claim is false. Both the UN and the ICJ have reiterated that the report emphasizes the protection of minors and in no way advocates the decriminalization of sex between adults and children.

A recently published guide to the legal treatment of sexuality, jointly published by the International Commission of Jurists (ICJ) and the United Nations (UNO), has been the subject of wild speculation and misinterpretation. At the center of the controversy was the false claim that the report advocated the decriminalization of sexual relations between adults and minors. The UN has strongly rejected this representation and emphasized that it does not take such positions.

The rumors quickly spread on social media and were repeated on various blogs. The claims, which are based on long-debunked conspiracy theories, were spread on various platforms such as Instagram and Twitter at the end of April.

Fact check: No, the UN does not want to legalize sex between children and adults

Clarification: What the report really says

The report published by the ICJ, a global NGO made up of 60 lawyers and judges, focuses on the defense of human rights. It is a detailed guide to the application of criminal laws relating to sex and health, including “consensual sexual activity”.

Although the UN, particularly the Department of HIV and AIDS (UNAIDS) and the UN High Commissioner for Refugees (UNHCR), were involved in the preparation of the report, the report itself was written by the ICJ.

The focus of the report is by no means promoting sexual relationships between adults and minors. Rather, the ICJ emphasizes the duty of states to protect children from all forms of abuse and to respect the age of consent.

Fact check: debunking the misinformation

The interpretations and interpretations on social media have significantly distorted the actual message of the report. A central point of the document is that consensual sexual activity should never be criminalized, regardless of the type of sexual activity or the identity of the people involved.

With regard to minors, the report argues that law enforcement should reflect the right and ability of minors to make decisions about consensual sexual acts. However, this has nothing to do with sexual relationships between adults and minors.

UN statement

In a press conference, UN spokesman Stéphane Dujarric described the emerging rumors as “malicious hoaxes”. Christine Stegling, Executive Director of the ICJ, emphasized that the report in no way calls for the decriminalization of sexual abuse of minors. “The consent of children and young people to sexual acts must always be reconciled with appropriate protection against abuse and exploitation,” she emphasized.


Fact check: UN and ICJ report

Claim: The report was published by the UN and the ICJ and promotes the decriminalization of sexual relations between adults and minors.
Rating: False
Facts: The report was published by the ICJ and the UN only contributed to it. The report addresses the legal treatment of sex and health, including consensual sexual activity. It does not contain any statements promoting sexual relationships between adults and minors. On the contrary, he emphasizes the need to protect children from abuse and respect the legal age for sexual relations.

Claim: The ICJ and UN report legitimizes sexual abuse of minors.
Rating: False
Facts: The report clearly advocates the protection of minors and calls for prosecution in the event of abuse. The misinformation spread on social media has significantly distorted and misinterpreted the contents of the report.

Claim: The UN has fully endorsed the report and its contents.
Rating: Partly true, partly false
Facts: UNAIDS and the UN High Commissioner for Refugees (UNHCR) contributed to the preparation of the report. However, it is not correct to claim that the UN has fully endorsed the report. The report was published by the ICJ and the UN merely participated in it.

Claim: The report advocates the decriminalization of consensual sexual activity.
Rating: True
Facts: A central point of the report is that consensual sexual activity should never be criminalized, regardless of the type of sexual activity or the identity of the people involved. However, this has no connection with sexual relationships between adults and minors.

Claim: The claims and interpretations on social media accurately reflect the contents of the report.
Rating: False
Facts: The interpretations on social media have significantly distorted the actual message of the report. The report calls for respect for the rights of young people and their protection from abuse, while advocating the decriminalization of consensual sexual activity. This has nothing to do with promoting sexual relations between adults and minors.


Conclusion: The original report was severely misinterpreted and distorted. While it is important to respect and protect the rights of young people, the report clearly emphasizes that protection from abuse and exploitation of minors is a top priority. The misinformation spread on social networks has led to an important discussion about the rights and protection of minors being pushed into the background.

Sources

Also read:

No, Sweden has not made sex a sport


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Notes:
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