ECPAT E bulletin 10 October 2011

[Mark Capaldi]

 

	10 October 2011 Bangladesh, Netherlands and Pakistan Monitoring Reports: Status of action against the commercial sexual exploitation of children Bangladesh Since gaining independence from Pakistan in 1971, Bangladesh’s human rights record has improved significantly. Nevertheless, Bangladesh is still one of the poorest countries in the world. It is estimated that half the children in the country are living under the poverty line. With regard to CSEC, child trafficking and child prostitution are closely linked. Many children are trafficked with the consent of their parents in exchange for money or false hope of a better life. These children are particularly vulnerable to sexual exploitation. As prostitution is legal, the exploitation of young girls in brothels can be found throughout Bangladesh, while the national legislation that is in place often fails to meet the needs of boys who are sexually exploited. Despite some government efforts in the prevention, protection, rescue and rehabilitation of CSEC victims and the adoption of a National Plan for Action against Sexual Abuse and Exploitation of Children including Trafficking in 2002, there is still insufficient progress that has been made to address the various manifestations of CSEC. Priority actions for the Bangladeshi government should include strengthening the legal protection provisions for boys and the adoption of child-friendly court procedures. To download the full report, click here. Netherlands Even though the Netherlands is a highly developed country with a strong human rights record, large numbers of children are exploited every year, especially as a destination country for trafficking and through the ‘loverboy’ phenomenon, whereby a man induces a young girl to fall in love with him and then manipulates or forces her into prostitution. The Netherlands has a number of National Action Plans relevant to CSEC and several national institutions that are responsible for combatting CSEC. National law is generally in harmony with international law. Priority actions recommended for the Netherlands include: providing alternative methods for commencing an investigation, other than a victim’s report; and, train law enforcement officials, social workers and prosecutors on how to receive, monitor and investigate complaints in a child-sensitive manner. To download the full report, click here. Pakistan Although the Pakistani economy has grown substantially in the last decade, political turmoil, violence, poverty and natural disaster have created conditions of extreme vulnerability for Pakistan’s children.  Religious and gender stereotypes prevent the CSEC problem, which includes widespread sexual exploitation of boys, from being fully recognised by Pakistani society, Child prostitution and trafficking are prevalent and easily visible in some locations. While Pakistan does have a relevant National Plan of Action, a Constitutional Amendment has caused much of the implementation responsibility to be delegated to provinces, many of which lack the capacity to enforce the regulations. Pakistan has a number of federal and provincial laws related to children. Islamic law is also applicable in some fields, such as family law. However, there is no uniformity on the application of these laws and enforcement is weak. Legislation does not clearly prohibit child sexual exploitation and lacks a clear definition of the term. Priority actions for Pakistan include: to review the Prostitution Ordinance and other legal provisions related to child prostitution to ensure protection for all children and to set up specialised law enforcement child protection units on sexual crimes against children. To download the full report, click here. ECPAT International submits a paper to the United Nations Office of the High Commissioner for Human Rights (OHCHR) At the end of September, ECPAT International submitted a short paper in response to the United Nations Office of the High Commissioner for Human Rights (OHCHR) call for papers on the following issue: Challenges, lessons learned and good practices in using a holistic, child rights and gender-based approach to protect and promote the rights of children working and/or living on the street, particularly focusing on relevant research, provision and support of services, and personal experiences This submission highlighted the connection between children living/working in the street and vulnerability to all manifestations of commercial sexual exploitation.  In addition to broader information about CSEC, the report also prevented several case studies from countries such as Pakistan, Cambodia and Nepal.  Please click here to access ECPAT submission as well as those of other stakeholders. Call for Abstracts for a Special Issue of Children, Youth and Environments: ‘Children, Violence, Community and the Physical Environment’ Please click here to open a Call for Abstracts for a special issue of the journal, Children, Youth and Environments. Expressions of interest for full papers and/or for shorter field reports are welcome. For more information, please contact Dr. Kevin Lalor at Kevin...@dit.ie ECPAT UK - PARLIAMENTARIANS AGAINST HUMAN TRAFFICKING Project The project aims to develop a European network of parliamentarians working to combat human trafficking in order to promote and develop cross border cooperation and mutual understanding. The project will complement and stimulate national level anti-trafficking activities such as legal reform and victim support. The project aims to reach 100 parliamentarians directly and 1000 indirectly, across 15 countries, by participating parliamentarians reporting back to national parliaments, and conclude with focal point contacts on human trafficking in at least eight national parliaments. Click here to download the brochure with more information. New ECPAT-USA Video Campaign to Combat Child Exploitation and Sex Trafficking As Congress considers passing a law to authorise funding for the development of shelters for sexually exploited American children, ECPAT-USA is launching a 60-second public service announcement, entitled ‘Princess’. The PSA tells the all too common story of children sold into the sex trade and spells out the simple truth that ‘dragons aren't the only monsters’. JWT New York is the agency that created the PSA. The video aims to raise awareness and gain support for legislation in the United States. Click here to view the spot     Child Safe Organisations Training of Trainers in Ghana From 13 to 16 October, the ECPAT affiliate group in Ghana, GNCRC will host the Child Safe Organisations Training of Trainers. The four countries that will benefit from ECPAT International’s Child Safe Organisation (CSO) programme in Africa are Benin, Gambia, Ghana and Zambia. Two participants of each of these countries will take part in this four-day training workshop facilitated by ECPAT International’s Regional Associate for Africa and an ECPAT International appointed consultant. The aim of this training is to build up the groups’ capacity for efficient and safe care of children under their organisational responsibility.     Compiled and edited by Miroslav Kalniev, ECPAT International. For further information or to include details of news or events, please contact: Miroslav Kalniev The Body Shop – ECPAT ‘Stop Sex Trafficking of Children & Young People’ Campaign News   7 Million Petitions at the United Nations Campaign Handover! On 28-29 September 2011, ECPAT and The Body Shop presented over 7 million petition signatures to the Committee on the Rights of the Child and the Human Rights Council in Geneva. This was the largest human rights petition ever presented to the United Nations. The event was held with sponsorship from the Permanent Mission of Thailand. ECPAT and The Body Shop met with Chairman of the Committee on the Rights of the Child Mr Jean Zermatten and President of the Human Rights Council Laura Dupuy Lassere. Mr Zermatten strongly welcomed the 7 million signatures and promised to relay the message onto the other members of the Committee to consider a ‘Day of General Discussion’ on child trafficking. Furthermore, he invited ECPAT and The Body Shop to provide input in an upcoming General Comment highlighting the role of the business sector towards protecting children.  Dupuy Lassere stated that sex trafficking of children and young people is a grave crime against children and it is an important issue for the Human Right Council. She promised to bring the campaign messages back to the UN Human Rights Council and encourage member states to continue to take action in honouring the commitments to protect children. The event was attended by over 100 member state representatives, representatives of international organisations and UN agencies, NGOs and representatives from ECPAT and The Body Shop. ECPAT Germany Presented 254,006 Campaign Petitions to German Minister of Justice On 8 September 2011, ECPAT Germany and The Body Shop Germany handed over a 254,006 signature petition to German Minister of Justice Sabine Leutheusser-Schnarrenberger. Members of ECPAT and The Body Shop as well as delegates from the German Bundestag gathered in front of the historic Brandenburger Tor, a symbol of German reunification, to present the signatures from the campaign ‘Stop Sex Trafficking of Children & Young People’ to the Minister. Leutheusser-Schnarrenberger complimented the initiative taken by ECPAT and The Body Shop as well as the amount of citizen participation in the campaign as a ‘great expression of our society’. She was positively surprised that more than 250,000 people signed up to engage in fighting this crime. Campaigns like this ‘shake up the society’ and raise awareness about the situation of victims suffering abuse, the Minister said. Child trafficking and child prostitution were no longer a side issue but had a ‘huge dimension’ worldwide. Leutheusser-Schnarrenberger also pointed out that it was not only ECPAT and The Body Shop International that engaged in stricter investigation of child traffickers and better care for victims, but promised that she herself would work on incorporating the new EU-guidelines into national law. These guidelines include the protection of victims of human trafficking. Ukraine Petition Handover On 5 October 2011, near the Ukrainian Parliament, the ECPAT Affiliate group La Strada Ukraine with ECPAT YPP Youth and the School of Equal Opportunities presented 55,736 campaign signatures collected from the campaign to the government. Valia Mudrik, a youth representative, conducted the handover to the Parliamentarian, who took it into Parliament. Outside, a youth flash mob took place to highlight the issue of child sex trafficking, the campaign and the presentation of the campaign petitions. Kateryna Levchenko, representative to Parliament and youth gave interviews to the media, including 11 TV channels, radio and other journalists. A clip of the handover can be seen here [in Ukrainian]. YPP Kyrgyzstan Child Protection Exhibition Fair On 20 September 2011, ECPAT Youth in Kyrgyzstan organised an exhibition fair of non-profit organisations working to protect the rights of children. The event aimed to strengthen social partnerships between NGOs, government and the private sector to improve the situation of children in Kyrgyzstan. More than 50 organisations and children participated in the event. YPP youth presented a workshop on how to organise a Forum Theatre. In addition, the event was focused on awareness raising through a photo gallery ‘Protect Children’s Rights from CSEC!’ and the collection of signatures to ‘STOP violence and trafficking in children in Kyrgyzstan’, which was signed by 100 people, including the Minister of Labour and Social Protection. At the end of the event, participants received a certificate for their active participation in the Exhibition Fair. FCm Travel Solutions First Business Travel Company in Germany to Sign The Code of Conduct On 13 September 2011, FCm Travel Solutions signed The Code of Conduct for the Protection of Children from Sexual Exploitation in Travel and Tourism. This is the first business travel company in Germany to join the Child Protection Code. Head of Department for FCm Travel Solutions Mr Christian Spangenberg said: ‘This is an important step for us. We are aware of the challenge that arises with signing The Code of Conduct, but we are looking forward to the collaboration’. Together with ECPAT Germany, an action plan was drawn up that includes the training of all employees of FCm Travel Solutions and the production of information brochures. Chairman of the Board of Management from The Code Organisation Switzerland Mr Matthias Leisinger said: ‘We hope that the participation by FCm will set a signal for business travel industry’. FCm Travel Solutions belongs to the top five global business travel chains and offers customers over 70 business travel agencies within Germany alone. USAID Report on Tackling the Demand that Fosters Human Trafficking Despite the importance of reducing demand to combat trafficking in persons, there is a lack of information about good practices in demand reduction. In August 2011, USAID Europe and Eurasia Bureau published a report on trafficking, aiming to begin filling those gaps in knowledge. The new report analyses available information from the Europe and Eurasia region and countries around the world on demand for prostitution and inexpensive labour as well as a variety of good practices in addressing the issue. The report is accessible here. ECPAT International participates at the 6th Internet Governance Forum (IGF) in Kenya On 27-30 September, ECPAT International participated at the 6th Internet Governance Forum (IGF) in Nairobi, Kenya. This event brings together key policy makers, IT industry civil society and other stakeholders to discuss key developments surrounding the Internet and to identify areas of concern so that these can be addressed through collaboration. Since the Internet touches almost everyone’s lives, this forum gave an opportunity to all individuals to voice their opinion in shaping the future of the Internet. ECPAT international has been leading the dynamic coalition on child online safety since its formation in 2007 in Rio de Janeiro IGF; it has been successfully able to present the situation of child sexual exploitation online and its relevant countermeasures with other agencies to a global audience who gather at this event every year. In addition, this year ECPAT organised a workshop featuring young people from four countries in collaboration with ITU and UNICEF; it also brought in new members to the panel, including representatives from Facebook. The workshop discussed the safeguards that were in place for young people in an increasingly connected world and how such initiatives could be strengthened. ECPAT took part in another panel on child protection panel that was organised by eNACSO (the European network against child sexual exploitation online). ECPAT also led the dynamic coalition session, which was very well attended by both members and non-members. ECPAT was the only child protection agency involved in the working group for the planning of the main session on security, openness and privacy at the plenary and was able to highlight various child protection priorities during the deliberations of the panel. The ECPAT representatives (including the youth participants) had a very special private meeting with Dr. Hamadoun Toure, the Secretary General (SG) of the International Telecommunication Union (ITU), facilitated by ITU where the SG reaffirmed his commitment to support the Child Online Protection program that ITU had commenced earlier. The meeting with the SG was a very rewarding experience for the young people who had a chance to share their personal work with him. ECPAT had a booth at the event where we shared our publications and other information materials and had visitors to the booth asking about the issue of child sexual abuse online and also how ECPAT has been working in this field. There were specific interests from Media (Tanzania), NGOs (Kenya) and telecommunications department of Kenya. ECPAT representative also networked with other agencies such as eNACSO, UNICEF, GSMA, Council of Europe and individual experts to discuss possible collaborations and identify and plan initiatives in the coming months. Ukrainian network against CSEC participates in the Public hearings of the Ukraine Parliament On 21 September in the Parliament of Ukraine (Verhovna Rada), members of the ECPAT Affiliate Group, the Ukrainian network against CSEC, participated in public hearings and discussed various issues of violence against children, women, family violence and other related issues. The ECPAT Regional Board member for the CIS Region and President of La Strada Ukraine, Kateryna Levchenko, was among the several speakers, most of whom were parliamentarians. Training courses for teens on Safety in cyberspace in Belarus In September, Specialists from the Public association ‘Children - not for violence’ (an ECPAT Affiliate group) conducted three training courses for teens on Safety in cyberspace. One training was held in the village Fanipol (Minsk region) for school students from rural areas. Another was held in Minsk and targeted hearing impaired students who are at risk of violence in Cyberspace. The third was carried out for ninth-grade students in a school in Minsk. Bangladesh Team In September, the new Peer Supporters and Youth Club members shared their experiences of their work, the capacity-building that they undertook during the monthly meeting and the planned orientation. Their selected topics were the definition and difference between sexual exploitation & commercial sexual exploitation, child trafficking, child prostitution, child pornography, ‘eve-teasing’, adolescent hygiene, early marriage, HIV/AIDs and life skills.  The two-day orientation programme for the new Peer Supporters and Youth Club members was held at Shishu Sourov Training Centre of the ECPAT Affiliate group Aparajeyo’s headquarters. A total of 17 youths from different partner organisations and AB’s shelter participated in the orientation programme. Moldova Team: In September, the peer supporters worked on writing project proposals. On 7 September 2011, 8 teams presented their micro-projects proposals at the Moldova office of the ECPAT affiliate group, CCF. On 19 September, the project’s implementation phase was started in several schools. All Peer Supporters and Youth Motivators showed their enthusiasm in the school’s activities preparation. The school principals and teachers showed their support to the peer supporters and said that the YPP Project is very much needed and helpful to the teenagers. In September, 16 such seminars were successfully implemented in various schools.