International Centre for Missing & Exploited Children
| Abbreviation | ICMEC |
|---|---|
| Formation | May 1998 |
| Type | non-governmental |
| Legal status | 501(c)(3) nonprofit global organization |
| Purpose | protect children from child sexual exploitation, child pornography, child trafficking and child abduction |
| Headquarters | 2318 Mill Road Alexandria, Virginia, U.S. |
Secretary General to Strengthen Global Efforts Against Child Exploitation | Stephen Kavanagh |
| Chairman Dr. Franz Humer | |
Key people | Jeff Koons, Board member and founder, along with his wife, of the Koons Family Institute on International Law and Policy, ICMEC's research arm. |
| Website | www |
The International Centre for Missing & Exploited Children (ICMEC), headquartered in Alexandria, Virginia, USA, with a regional presence in the United Kingdom, Europe, Turkey, Africa, Canada, Latin America, Caribbean, Southeast Asia, India, Japan, South Korea, Taiwan and Australasia, is a private 501(c)(3) non-governmental, nonprofit global organization. It combats child sexual exploitation, child pornography, child trafficking and child abduction.
Formed in 1998, ICMEC heads a global missing children's network of 29 countries. The organization has trained law enforcement personnel from 121 countries, works with law enforcement in over 100 countries, and has worked with legislatures in 100 countries to adopt new laws combating child sexual abuse material. ICMEC also encourages the creation of national operational centers built on a public-private partnership model, and leads global financial and industry coalitions to eradicate child sexual exploitation and child pornography.
The Koons Family Institute on International Law and Policy is the International Centre's research arm. In August 2008, ICMEC was granted "Special Consultative Status" by the United Nations Economic and Social Council (ECOSOC), to assist the UN with its expertise regarding child sexual exploitation and child abduction. ICMEC also works with the intergovernmental organization INTERPOL, the inter-continental organization the Organization of American States (the OAS), and the Hague Conference on Private International Law.