The Independent Expert visited UNODC in Vienna where he met with colleagues of the Criminal Justice Reform Unit, the Anti-Trafficking Division, the Global Challenges Section, the Division for Treaty Affairs, and the HIV/AIDS Unit. The purpose of the visit was to provide information on the Study to the different sections of UNODC and to discuss possible collaboration. Also in Vienna, Pinheiro met with representatives from the Austrian Ministry of Foreign Affairs.

The Independent Expert made a presentation during a side event, organized by ECPAT, at the prep-com for the World Summit on the Information. In his presentation, the Independent Expert emphasised the fact that violence against children in cyberspace is an emerging issue that requires articulated attention from private sector, civil society and Governments.

Prof. Pinheiro met with representatives of several EU institutions in Brussels. Prof. Pinheiro was invited to Brussels by Javier Solana’s Personal Representative for Human Rights, Mr. Michel Matthiessen. Meetings were held with members of the European Parliament, (including with the Human Rights Sub-Committee of the European Parliament), with members of the European Commission (including the Democratization and Human Rights unit and the Justice and Home Affairs Unit), heads of UN agencies representatives to the EU, and NGOs.

The Independent Expert participated in the third ECPAT International Assembly which was held in Rio de Janeiro in Brazil . Over 160 participants from the ECPAT Network took part in this assembly debating issues such as child sexual exploitation, child and youth participation and violence related to internet and other communcations technologies or “cyberspace”. In his statement, the Expert spoke about the linkages between the follow-up to the Yokohama process and the the Study on Violence Against Children.