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The government agenda
Minister stated that he would continue to devote attention to efforts to combat the sexual abuse of children,
together with the State Secretary of the Ministry of Health, Welfare and Sport. 40 The NAPS ended
in December 2002, without an evaluation having taken place. The framework for cooperation that was
created through the NAPS was no longer maintained after 2002. 41
Joint Provisions to Tackle <strong>Child</strong> <strong>Pornography</strong>
The Policy Plan of the Dutch Police Force (1999-2002) emphasised the need to improve the quality of
the work carried out by the police, including tackling child pornography and child prostitution in a
more targeted manner. This led to a national initiative, the Joint Provisions to Tackle <strong>Child</strong> <strong>Pornography</strong>
(GVAK, 1999-2001), intended to support the regional police forces and the district court public prosecutor’s
offices. 42 The GVAK formed one of the first structural initiatives. This project ensured that the issue
of tackling child pornography was included on the police agenda, and fulfilled a driving function, for
example by getting supraregional police forces off the ground. 43 A digital archive became operational,
perpetrators could be linked to victims via a computer system, a national consultation was convened,
professional development was arranged in the form of courses, and measures were put in place to increase
the level of expert knowledge amongst sex offence detectives. 44 The programme also provided
for the establishment of a child pornography coordination centre. One of the aims of this centre was
to develop techniques for the detection of child abuse material on the Internet. 45 The activities of the
GVAK that ceased after July 2001 had, in part, become a component of the police forces and the <strong>National</strong>
Registration Institute service. 46
Yokohama
In December 2001, the second World Congress against Commercial Sexual Exploitation of <strong>Child</strong>ren took
place in Yokohama. During this congress, it became clear that despite the efforts made over the preceding
five years, the number of children who had become victims of commercial sexual abuse over the
world had increased. 47 In a similar manner to the concerns stated in the investigation report ‘<strong>Child</strong>
pornography on the Internet in the Netherlands’ 48 , worries were expressed with regard to the increasing
extent of child abuse material on the Internet. 49
40 Parliamentary Papers II 2002/03, 26 690, no. 12.
41 The final report concluded with the remark that continued attention needed to be devoted to the
phenomenon of ‘sexual abuse,’ a message that was also made apparent in the second World Congress
against Commercial Sexual Exploitation of <strong>Child</strong>ren in Yokohama, referred to below. ECPAT-NL and
DCI also urged for a follow-up to NAPS. Source: NRM3, p.120.
42 Parliamentary Papers II 1998/99, 26 690, no. 2.
43 Groeneveld, 2000.
44 Parliamentary Papers II 2000/01, 27 400, no. 2.
45 Erents et al., 2003.
46 Public Order and Safety Inspectorate, 2003.
47 Parliamentary Papers II 2002/03, 26 690, no. 12.
48 Profit for the World’s <strong>Child</strong>ren Foundation, 2001. Profit for the World’s <strong>Child</strong>ren is an NGO and published
the report ‘<strong>Child</strong> pornography and the Internet in the Netherlands’ of its own accord. The report
was produced with assistance from experts and was presented to members of the House of Representatives
and ECPAT-NL at the start of December 2001.
49 See §1.5.3.
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