THE INTERNATIONAL CENTRE FOR MISSING AND EXPLOITED CHILDREN (ICMEC)

Our History: In 1996, Belgium was shaken by the tragic “Dutroux Affair.” Over the course of many years, Marc Dutroux, an unemployed electrician and father of three, committed a series of kidnappings, rapes and killings of an unknown number of teenage girls. As the atrocity of his crimes was disclosed, the public became very critical of the way the authorities handled the case. More than 300,000 Belgian citizens expressed their anger in the now-legendary “White March,” and shortly thereafter, Belgian Prime Minister Dehaene visited the U.S.-based National Center for Missing & Exploited Children (NCMEC). He asked that NCMEC establish a center in Brussels to which NCMEC's President responded, “You do not need an American solution to this problem – you need a Belgian solution. But we will help.” NCMEC then worked with the Belgian government, private sector leaders, victim parents, and law enforcement to create the Brussels-based Child Focus. Other countries began visiting NCMEC and asking for help. While NCMEC was able to provide training, technical assistance and support, it was difficult for the organization to become too involved in international programs and operations without diverting time and resources from its core mission of serving America's missing and exploited children. Therefore, in May 1997 the NCMEC Board of Directors authorized the creation of the International Centre for Missing & Exploited Children (ICMEC). ICMEC's Board of Directors held its first meeting in May 1998, and ICMEC was officially launched in April 1999 at a ceremony hosted by the British Ambassador in Washington, D.C. Today, through our headquarters in Alexandria, Virginia, ICMEC works around the world to advance child protection and safeguard children from abduction, sexual abuse and exploitation. ICMEC has regional representation in Brazil, Singapore and South Korea. Together with an extensive network of public and private sector partners, ICMEC's team responds to global issues with tailored local solutions.