ECPAT

From Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia

ECPAT is a network of organizations and individuals working together to eliminate the commercial sexual exploitation of children. The acronym stands for End Child Prostitution, Child Pornography and Trafficking of Children for Sexual Purposes. ECPAT has Special Consultative Status with the Economic and Social Council of the United Nations (ECOSOC).

ECPAT International is a global network dedicated to eliminating the commercial sexual exploitation of children or CSEC. The International Secretariat is based in Bangkok, Thailand. 73 ECPAT groups are located in 67 countries.

The ECPAT network is composed of the ECPAT groups who are its driving force. These groups range in financial strength and employee size as well as extent of geographical scope. Within the ECPAT network, groups have different roles and focus depending on the particularities of the country/region they operate in, whether in terms of the situation of CSEC, economic power, or cultural context.

ECPAT International identifies interested groups and encourages and assists them with information and skills sharing both nationally and regionally to increase the effectiveness of those working to combat CSEC.

Some areas in which ECPAT works include: prevention of and fight against child sex tourism and child trafficking, prevention of child pornography on the internet, support of direct services to children who are at risk or are victims of CSEC, assistance of law enforcement in investigating and prosecuting offenders, and the development and implementation of campaigns aimed at raising public awareness of CSEC.

The organization was awarded the 1998 Rafto Prize.

In 2006, ECPAT, with the support of UNICEF and the World Tourism Organization, launched "The Code of Conduct for the Protection of Children from Sexual Exploitation in Travel and Tourism." The code encourages companies in the tourism sector to help in the fight against CSEC. Companies providing tourism services adopt the code and its 6 criteria aimed at fighting sexual exploitation of children. Hotel chains, tour agencies, and airlines around the world have committed themselves to incorporating the protection of children and fight against child exploitation into the business procedures and environment. Some efforts include: posting signs and posters letting customers know child sexual exploitation is a crime, educating and training workers to spot and report suspicious activities of customers, requiring vendors and employees to agree not take part in the exploitation of children under penalty of termination of employment or business relationship. Reporting is done by these signing businesses to check progress and share best practices.