This paper has been prepared for UNICEF as a background briefing paper for the Third World Congress against the Sexual Exploitation of Children [SEC] and Adolescents…The purpose of this paper is to describe the potential of CSR to address SEC, based on an analysis of SEC and the role of the private sector…[In] [t]he first part of the paper…[t]ypical approaches to CSR are described, together with the challenges which their effective implementation presents…The second part of this paper concentrates firstly on the role of the commodity industries in crime-driven SEC and secondly on the role of companies in socioeconomically driven SEC…The paper then reviews the role of CSR and of companies in relation to the regulation of SEC…the final section collects together the recommendations made throughout the paper. [refers to AOL (UK) (part of Time-Warner), BT, Cadbury (part of Kraft), Chiquita, Del Monte, Diners Club, Dole, eBay, Favorita, Gap, L’Oreal, MasterCard, Microsoft, Noboa, Standard Chartered, Viacom, Virgin Media, Visa, Vodafone]