International Experts Target Sex Tourism

Guy Degan: You’re watching UNICEF television. Child sex tourism and corporate social responsibility led discussions among international experts and child rights and UNICEF’s Innocenti Research Center's consultations on sexual exploitation and trafficking of children in Florence, Italy. The series of meeting and workshops with experts aimed to develop recommendations for the World Congress against sexual exploitation of children and adolescence to be hosted by Brazil in November. Representatives from UNICEF, NGO partners and government officials examined successful regional and national campaigns working with the travel industry to prevent child sex tourism particularly in establishing codes of conduct to guide help private enterprise can help. Theo Noten: And they should not stick up to the police where they can do something to prevent travelers from sexually exploiting children. So the code of conduct is a means for the industry to do some or real work on this. Guy Degan: But while sexual exploitation of children occurs through tourism, experts noted that not all foreign child sex offenders are tourist. Vernon Jones: We know that people who are going away on business, people that are working for NGOs, people that are working for governments or the military are also involved in the sexual exploitation of children. Guy Degan: Countries with weak jurisdiction to safeguard child rights are popular with traveling sex offenders who often take advantage of the ease of digital technology to share pornographic images of their abuse. Foreign online sex offenders also target internet chat rooms and social media to sexually exploit children and teenagers. Delegates illustrated how the participation of children in awareness rising and child-friendly campaigns can deliver a positive results. Anjanette Saguisag: First, is that the children have actually being involved in the designed – it actually started with a national consultation with children and young people and it was the children and the young people themselves who actually said that we need to engage internet café owners or at least internet cafes in a more wider scope. Guy Degan: For the upcoming World Congress against Sexual Exploitation of Children and Adolescence organizing officials from the Brazilian government outlined important goals that Congress seeks to achieve. Carmen de Oliviera: We need to look at new strategies such as new types of legislation to work in a more integrated way to combat the phenomenon and bring on new partners such as the private sector and increase international cooperation. Guy Degan: This is Guy Degan in Florence, Italy reporting for UNICEF Television, unite for children.