Rio de Janeiro: Some 140 countries meeting here this week agreed a UN-backed declaration to counter the sexual exploitation of children, calling on governments and private companies to take action to protect children's rights.

The product of the Third World Congress against Sexual Exploitation of Children and Adolescents, the "Rio Declaration" recommends measures to help tens of millions of children in bondage break free of their exploiters.

Published by UNICEF, the UN children's fund, the agreement drawn up by some 3,000 delegates calls on governments to establish independent organisations to protect children's rights within the next five years.

It also urges setting up national information networks on child abuse by 2009 and a regional system to share the data by 2013, as well as data sharing with Interpol.

For the private sector, the agreement calls on the tourist, advertising, Internet and entertainment sectors to establish a code of good conduct to prevent the exploitation of children.

Source : PTI