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Implementation
3.8 Public-private sector partnerships in the Netherlands in the matter
of child pornography
3.8.1 Introduction
The nature of the Internet means that (comprehensive and central) control is not possible and that technological
developments succeed one another at an extremely rapid pace. In tackling child pornography
on the Internet, the government is faced by challenges involving capacity, knowledge and resources. 752
The private sector is supporting the government in its public role of tackling child pornography, on
international 753 , European 754 and national 755 levels. Public-private sector partnerships (PPS) form a
means to accomplish this. A public-private sector partnership in the field of safety is based on the
collaboration between private and public parties, with an approach that involves a clear distribution
of responsibilities, tasks and competences on the basis of mutually-agreed objectives; a hierarchical
relationship between the parties does not exist. 756 The common intention of public and private actors
involved in tackling child pornography is clear: to prevent and combat child pornography and
victims of this offense. In §3.8.2, it will emerge that public-private sector partnerships are, in practice,
unmanageable in their efforts to tackle child pornography, as various actors are involved who all have
different views on tackling child pornography on the Internet. A consultative body that brings together
the whole arena of the forces at play that are concerned with this problem, such as was established at
the time that the possible blocking of websites concerning child abuse material was intended, would
therefore be desirable. In §3.8.3, the fact that collaborations in the Netherlands and other countries
also exist that do not involve such forums, will be described. Although the precise direction that publicprivate
partnerships will take in order to tackle child pornography has not been formulated, this will be
derived from current collaborations and literature. For this reason, a possible focus on public-private
partnerships and associated strategies will be described in §3.8.4. This focus and the associated strategies
complement the focus of the police, the Public Prosecution Service and the Ministry of Security
and Justice. The potential of public-private partnerships in the matter of child pornography is large. For
this reason, it is advisable to safeguard and further develop Dutch public-private sector partnerships
in this field (§3.8.5).
752 The number of pending child pornography cases has been high for many years (§3.4; Parliamentary
Papers II, 2010/11, 32 500 VI, no.102), knowledge regarding digital technology falls short in certain governmental
divisions. (Stol, 2010, p.71; Programme of Improvements in Tackling <strong>Child</strong> <strong>Pornography</strong>,
2011, p.17).
753 ‘The Rio de Janeiro Declaration and Call for Action to Prevent and Stop Sexual Exploitation of <strong>Child</strong>ren
and Adolescents’. Third World Congress against Sexual Exploitation of <strong>Child</strong>ren and Adolescents 2008,
Rio de Janeiro, Brazil, 25-28 November 2008, see: www.ecpat.net/WorldCongressIII/PDF/Outcome/
WCIII_Outcome_Document_Final.pdf (viewed 29 August 2011).
754 Article 9 of the Convention on the Protection of <strong>Child</strong>ren Against Sexual Exploitation and Sexual
Abuse (Lanzarote Convention), Lanzarote, 25 October 2007, Treaty Series 2008, 58 www.europa-nu.
nl/id/vimphneganv0/nieuws/toespraak_eurocommissaris_malmstrom?ctx=vh1alzift7wj (viewed 31
May 2011).
755 Programme of Improvements in Tackling <strong>Child</strong> <strong>Pornography</strong>, 2011, p.36.
756 Definition taken from Pel et al., 2002, p.7.
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