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

A global call for robust child protection structures in travel and tourism

Taking action following the two Global Events organised around the UN General Assembly 2023 in New York

On 10 and 12 October 2023, global leaders, advocates, and experts convened to unpack two UN reports on child protection in travel and tourism to innovate, collaborate, and create solutions for child protection in travel, tourism, online, and finance contexts. 

Organised by ECPAT International, PACT – Protect All Children from Trafficking, the UN Special Rapporteur on the sale and sexual exploitation of children, and the United Nations Special Representative of the Secretary-General on Violence against Children, the dialogues aimed at placing child protection at the core of sustainable development and reshaping voluntourism practices. 

The events marked a significant step towards implementing international standards and policies, including the Sustainable Development Goals and the UN Guiding Principles on Business and Human Rights. 

Read a recap of the events and explore more resources below: 

10 October: A closer look at the phenomena of voluntourism

Based on the UN Special Rapporteur’s report findings on the sale and sexual exploitation of children in travel and tourism, with a closer look at the phenomena of voluntourism, the event brought together a diverse group of global authorities and advocates to call for responsible and regulated voluntourism practices. 

Event Highlights: 

Opening Remarks by Ms. Mama Fatima Singhateh: Presenting the UN report on the exploitation and sexual abuse of children in the context of travel and tourism, with a specific focus on the phenomena of voluntourism. 

Roundtable Discussion: Analysing the UN report’s findings and formulating recommendations for regulating voluntourism, including stopping orphanage tourism. 

Action: Collaborative strategies to elevate global, regional and country-level strategies, drawing from best practices and practical experiences. 

Ms. Mama Fatima Singhateh emphasised the urgent need for collective action to regulate harmful forms of voluntourism through due diligence measures and “do no harm” policies and practices so children are not exploited for profit in the travel and tourism industry. Guillaume Landry of ECPAT International called for a global commitment to create sustainable travel and tourism – where voluntourism is regulated and children are protected. Lori Cohen of PACT stressed the importance of turning recommendations into actions for a world free of child exploitation. 

Other recommendations from the report include: 

  • Support the redirection of private and public funding away from orphanages and alternative care facilities towards prevention of separation services, family-based care and critical aftercare services for young people in exiting care; 
  • Work with intermediaries and partners from the sector developing voluntourism “products” and “packages” to closely regulate their operation and elaborate measures for the prevention of the commodification of children; 
  • Create a regulated system of volunteering and conduct thorough background checks on volunteers and provide training and support to ensure that they understand and respect the rights of children; 
  • Strengthen existing laws to address all forms of exploitation of children, including the sale, sexual abuse and trafficking of children in travel and tourism.  
  • All stakeholders – including international and regional bodies, the private sector, civil society, community actors, should work together to address and respond to the phenomena of voluntourism as part of sustainable and responsible tourism development.  

Watch the event highlights below:

Event Resources

UN Special Rapporteur Report

Read

English Event Recording

Watch

Spanish Event Recording

Watch

Highlights of Ms. Mama Fatima’s Speeches

Read

12 October: Protecting children in travel and tourism

This crucial event, aligned with the launch of the UN report by the United Nations Special Representative of the Secretary-General on Violence against Children (SRSG VAC) at the UN General Assembly 2023, engaged experts, business leaders, government representatives, and child advocates in a collaborative effort to place child protection at the core of sustainable development. 

The event focused on three thematic areas, with participants sharing evidence-based practices and discussing actionable strategies in three panels: 

  1. Children’s perspectives on sustainable development in tourism 
  2. Travel & Transportation Industry’s Role in preventing child exploitation 
  3. Engagement of the Financial Sector in child and gender-sensitive protection mechanisms 

Dr. Najat Maalla M’jid highlighted the need for developing sustainable tourism with child protection at its core. Guillaume Landry of ECPAT International emphasised the necessity of direct engagement with children and a multisectoral approach for real progress. Lori Cohen of PACT and Oscar Valverde of Fundación Paniamor echoed the importance of elevating youth voices and ensuring children’s safety in tourism development. Speakers also called to step up action and the role of the transportation industry and for more assertive action by the financial sector to combat child sexual exploitation and abuse. 

Watch the event highlights below:

Event Resources

SRSG-VAC Report

Read

Child-Friendly SRSG-VAC Report

Read

English Event Recording

Watch

Spanish Event Recording

Watch

Highlights of Dr. Najat’s Speech

Read

Read and sign the Open Letter to All Stakeholders in Travel and Tourism: Make Tourism Truly Sustainable now and for the future by Protecting Children.

More Resources

Thematic Brief
Volunteering, Voluntourism, Tourism and Trafficking in Orphanages

Task Force on Orphanage Tourism, Voluntourism and Trafficking, Transforming Children’s Care Collaborative Platform

Read
Issues Paper
How Voluntourism May Facilitate the Sexual Exploitation of Children

ECPAT International

Read
Guidelines
The Code’s Voluntourism Policy

The Code (The Code of Conduct for the Protection of Children from Sexual Exploitation in Travel and Tourism)

Read
Case Study
Implementing the Legal Framework for the Prosecution of Orphanage Trafficking: A Cambodia Case Study

Better Care Network

Read
Preliminary Findings
German Voluntourism Market – Preliminary Findings 2023

ECPAT Germany and Tourism Watch @ Brot für die Welt

Read
Case Study
Ireland – Regulating voluntourism as part of child protection standards for the travel and tourism industry

ECPAT International, Comhlámh End Orphanage Volunteering Working Group & End Orphanage Volunteering Working Group

Read
Case Study
The Netherlands – Regulating voluntourism as part of child protection standards for the travel and tourism industry

ECPAT International, Defence for Children – ECPAT Netherlands, Better Care Network Netherlands

Read
Brief
Working Collaboratively With Children to Build Sustainable Destinations

ECPAT International, Fundación Paniamor and Fundación Quitu Raymi

Read
Case Study
Bolivia Promising Practice: The role of the travel and transportation industry in preventing and addressing the sexual exploitation of children

ECPAT International and Fundación Munasim Kullakita

Case Study
Norway Promising Practice: The role of the travel and transportation industry in preventing and addressing the sexual exploitation of children

ECPAT International and ECPAT Norway

Read
Research Findings
Overview of research findings: Sexual exploitation of children in the context of travel and transport in Burkina Faso, Côte D’ivoire, Guinea and Niger

ECPAT International

Overview
Overview on Extraterritoriality and Extradition Legislation for Offences of Sexual Exploitation of Children

ECPAT International

Colombia Case Study and Costa Rican Experiences
Protective Environments: a model to prevent child sexual exploitation in travel and tourism contexts

ECPAT International

Video Contributions

The following videos were submitted as independent contributions to the event organised by ECPAT International, PACT, and the UN Special Rapporteur on the sale, sexual exploitation and sexual abuse of children – Building on the findings and recommendations from the UN Special Rapporteur’s report – A study on the exploitation and sexual abuse of children in the context of travel and tourism; a closer look at the phenomena of voluntourism held on 10th October 2023.

Emma Lynch

Church Engagement and Education Manager, on behalf of Comhlámh, the Irish association of development workers and volunteers

Watch

Catherine Germier-Hamel

Chief Executive Officer, Destination Mekong

Watch

Ana Maria Dionela

Executive Director, ECPAT Philippines

Watch

Linda Reynolds

Liberal Senator for Western Australia

Watch

ECPAT International, in collaboration with two of its member organisations, Fundación Paniamor in Costa Rica and Fundación Quitu Raymi in Ecuador, implemented a pilot project “Building sustainable tourism destinations that protect children from sexual exploitation”. This project enabled children to not only discuss and explore the impact of tourism developments on children and their communities, but it also gave them an opportunity to provide recommendations and develop their own actions to prevent child sexual exploitation. The children also advocated for better policies and interventions from the government and businesses to protect children with the aim of building truly sustainable tourism destinations.

Watch the documentary video and process video developed collaboratively with children to build sustainable tourism destinations.

Documentary Video

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‘Making of’ Video

Watch

The following videos were submitted as independent contributions to the event organised by ECPAT International, PACT, and the United Nations Special Representative of the Secretary-General on Violence against Children – Building on the findings and recommendations from the United Nations Special Representative of the Secretary-General on Violence against Children Report to the UN General Assembly on child protection in travel and tourism held on 12th October 2023.

Raymond Kamano

Le Monde Des Enfants (MDE), Guinea

Watch

Adélaïde Sawadogo

Child Protection Officer, Association Keogo, Burkina Faso

Watch

Engaging with Children to Strengthen Sustainable Tourism Strategies that Prevent Child Sexual Exploitation

This resource is intended for governments, businesses and civil society organisations who are working on sustainable tourism and child rights.

The briefing paper provides those working in the tourism sector with an overview of:

  • What child sexual exploitation is
  • Why preventing and responding to child sexual exploitation in travel and tourism is important
  • How collaborating with civil society organisations working with children can help tourism authorities and businesses understand children’s perspectives on tourism
  • What governments and businesses need to think about when planning to hear from children.

The toolkit is designed for civil society organisations who may wish to:

  • Engage children in activities to explore the impact of tourism in the local community
  • Plan and undertake actions to inform and influence the tourism industry

Briefing Paper (Eng)

ECPAT International

Read

Briefing Paper (Esp)

ECPAT International

Read

Toolkit (Eng)

ECPAT International

Read

Toolkit (Esp)

ECPAT International

Read

These events mark a crucial juncture in the international commitment to child protection in travel and tourism.

For media inquiries, please contact: 

  • ECPAT International: Andrew Beaton, Head of Communications, communications@ecpat.org 
  • PACT USA: Cécile Kirwan, Head of Communications,  ckirwan@wearepact.org
  • Office of the UN Special Rapporteur on the sale, sexual exploitation and sexual abuse of children: Team supporting the mandate on the sale, sexual exploitation and sexual abuse of children, hrc-sr-saleofchildren@un.org
  • Office of the UN Special Representative of the Secretary-General on Violence against Children: Miguel Caldeira, Communication Officer, caldeira1@un.org