Public Opinion is Clear: Urgent Legislation Required to Protect Children from Sexual Exploitation! Read the story

46 Recommendations: A Roadmap Forward

Posted on May 11, 2017

The Global Study on Sexual Exploitation of Children in Travel and Tourism outlines 46 recommendations aimed at various parts of society to help achieve the goal of eradicating the sexual exploitation of children in travel and tourism (SECTT). The recommendations are directed at entities who have direct responsibility for the overall well-being of children: regional bodies, international organisations and national governments, as well as the non-governmental organisations working to protect children on the ground. Recommendations are also made for the private sector, including not only companies involved in travel, tourism and transportation, but also those working in information communications technology and companies whose staff travel for business.

While the recommendations are grouped by stakeholders, the cross-sectoral dimensions of the recommendations point to the importance of coordinated approaches for effective SECTT intervention and prevention.

Implementation of the recommendations is a prerequisite for achieving the three Sustainable Development Goal (SDG) targets that call for an end to the child sexual exploitation. The SDGs are outlined in the 2030 Agenda for Sustainable Development and the Agenda identifies the elimination of all forms of violence against children as a distinct priority, including sexual abuse, exploitation and trafficking. More specifically, the following targets of the SDGs are of direct relevance to combating SECTT:

SDG Target 5.2: “Eliminate all forms of violence against all women and girls in the public and private spheres, including trafficking and sexual and other types of exploitation”

SDG Target 8.7: “Take immediate and effective measures to eradicate forced labour, end modern slavery and human trafficking and secure the prohibition and elimination of the worst forms of child labour, including recruitment and use of child soldiers, and by 2025 end child labour in all its forms”

SDG Target 16.2: “End abuse, exploitation, trafficking and all forms of violence against and torture of children”

Over the coming four years, ECPAT will give high priority to promoting and facilitating the implementation of the Global Study recommendations by its members and a wide range of partners. There will be continuous awareness raising and advocacy to keep SECTT on the public agenda and the progress made in implementing the recommendations will be monitored. Many of the Study partners are already implementing the recommendations in areas such as volun-tourism, sport and law enforcement, as well as implementing public awareness activities, implementing codes of conduct for employees, and expanding the use of technology and other innovations in child protection to stop SECTT.