GENEVA (15 May 2023) – The UN Special Rapporteur on the sale, sexual exploitation and sexual abuse of children, Mama Fatima Singhateh, will visit Uruguay from 16 to 26 May 2023. The Special Rapporteur will examine the protection of children against sexual exploitation, child marriage, child-trafficking for sexual exploitation, the exploitation of children living in the streets, and the sale of children through illegal adoptions and other concerns. She will assess the situation and progress made in combating and preventing the sale and sexual exploitation of children in line with international human rights norms and standards. Singhateh is visiting Uruguay at the invitation of the Government, and will hold discussions in Chuy, Montevideo and Paysandú with representatives of the executive, legislature and judiciary, local and municipal authorities, civil society organisations, child shelters, children and local communities. The Special Rapporteur will hold a press conference at the end of her visit, on Friday 26 May 2023 at 12:30 PM local time at the Ibis Montevideo Rambla Hotel, La Cumparsita 1473, Montevideo, 11217, Uruguay, to share her preliminary observations. Access will be strictly limited to journalists. She will present a comprehensive report of her visit to the Human Rights Council in March 2024. ENDS Ms. Mama Fatima Singhateh (The Gambia) was appointed as the UN Special Rapporteur on sale, sexual exploitation and sexual abuse of children by the UN Human Rights Council in March 2020. She is a trained lawyer with over 20 years of experience. Ms Singhateh has held a number of high-level positions in public service in the Gambia. She holds a master’s degree in International Business Law from the University of Hull and has undergone numerous trainings in child rights programming, arbitration and mediation, and legislative drafting. She has drafted laws, organized and conducted numerous training sessions, delivered presentations at both national and international fora and written articles and reports on issues relating to the promotion and protection of the rights of the child. The Special Rapporteurs are part of what is known as the Special Procedures of the Human Rights Council. Special Procedures, the largest body of independent experts in the UN Human Rights system, is the general name of the Council"s independent fact-finding and monitoring mechanisms that address either specific country situations or thematic issues in all parts of the world. Special Procedures experts work on a voluntary basis; they are not UN staff and do not receive a salary for their work. They are independent from any government or organisation and serve in their individual capacity. UN Human Rights, country page – Uruguay For more information and media requests, please contact: In Uruguay (during the visit): Ms. Nouf Al Anezi (+41 79 444 4702 / nouf.alanezi@un.org). In Geneva: Ms. Antara Singh (+41 22 917 9328/ antara.singh@un.org) and write to hrc-sr-saleofchildren@un.org. For media enquiries regarding other UN independent experts, please contact Maya Derouaz (maya.derouaz@un.org) and Dharisha Indraguptha (dharisha.indraguptha@un.org). Follow news related to the UN’s independent human rights experts on Twitter @UN_SPExperts. Concerned about the world we live in? Then STAND UP for someone’s rights today. #Standup4humanrights and visit the web page at http://www.standup4humanrights.org