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Swedish officials have vowed to step up the fight against prostitution, using a unique law that targets sex buyers instead of prostitutes.
The Government will spend 210 million kronor ($45 million) towards that goal and unveiled a 36-point plan to tackle prostitution and trafficking.
Sweden's unusual prostitution law, which allows the sale of sex but prohibits the buying, faced ridicule when it was introduced nine years ago.
However, other countries are now considering emulating the Swedish model, which officials say has reduced the demand for prostitutes and reshaped attitudes toward the sex trade.
Police estimate that the number of prostitutes dropped 40 per cent from 2500 in 1998 to 1500 in 2003.
The plan boosts policing against sex buyers and expands rehabilitation centres for sex workers and trafficking victims.
It also trains hospital workers and social services employees to deal with suspected cases of prostitution and trafficking.
Paying for sex is punished by fines or up to six months in prison, plus the humiliation of public expose.
