02 DECEMBER 2014, PARIS, FRANCE: 86 ECPAT member groups from 78 countries, along with experts and partners from across the globe, will unite as one global network working to end the commercial sexual exploitation of children (CSEC) at the sixth ECPAT International Assembly at the Pullman Hotel in Paris, France from 2-3 December 2014.
The International Assembly is an opportunity to nurture a greater sense of solidarity within the ECPAT network and strengthen policies and strategies for increased effectiveness and impact. The 6th International Assembly will include a plenary of inspirational speakers that will provide a powerful opening to the event. Throughout the Assembly there will also be a number of other expert panels, side events and evening receptions with external guests including:
Ms. Maud de Boer-Buquicchio | United Nations Special Rapporteur on the sale of children, child prostitution and child pornography
Mr. John Carr | Senior Expert Adviser to the United Nations, ITU, European Union, ECPAT International for online child safety
Mr. Jaap Doek | Deputy Justice in the Court of Appeal of Amsterdam and Emeritus Professor of Law at the Vrije Universiteit
Datuk Dr. Raj Abdul Karim | Asia Regional Director of Women Deliver
Mr. Jean-Cyril Spinetta |Former Chief Executive Officer of Air France-KLM SA
The attendance of such luminaries on children’s rights and collaborative links with the private sector demonstrate the leadership of the ECPAT network in furthering the global discussion on CSEC and initiating collective action to end it for good.
CSEC is a highly complex issue, growing, evolving and mutating into different kinds of exploitative activity, increasingly violent and more extreme. It has devastating consequences for millions of children. It is criminal, taboo, often hidden and thus very hard to quantify and research. One of the consequences of globalisation is that offenders can move around the world to evade legislative and law enforcement measures. In addition, proliferating Information and Communications Technology (ICT) channels offers a sense of anonymity which has enabled ‘communities’ of offenders to trade , find ‘validation’ and explore ever-more extreme behavior. On-line activity in all forms of CSEC has left ECPAT (and others) operating in a changing paradigm.
The 6th International Assembly will enable ECPAT groups to reaffirm the vision of the ECPAT movement, assess progress and agree on collective action for the future. The International Assembly is also the culmination of an extensive consultative process facilitated throughout the ECPAT network to review the ECPAT International strategic directions.
The Strategic Framework, derived from this consultative planning and decision-making process, is intended to provide inspiration and guidance for the collective work of the ECPAT Network to have as big an impact as possible in ending CSEC. It is hoped that ECPAT Network members can share a common understanding of the challenges ahead and can fully or significantly align their own Strategic and Operational plans with the Framework. The intention is to build on our collective strength combined with our flexibility to work locally and globally to combat CSEC in all forms.
About ECPAT International:
ECPAT is a global network of 86 organisations working together in 78 countries for the elimination of child prostitution, child pornography and the trafficking of children for sexual purposes. ECPAT seeks to ensure that children everywhere enjoy their fundamental rights free and secure from all forms of commercial sexual exploitation.
ECPAT International has been leading the global discussion on the commercial sexual exploitation of children (CSEC) and is recognised as a strong and cohesive child rights advocacy network speaking on behalf of vulnerable children and child victims of sexual exploitation for nearly 25 years. For more information, please visit www.ecpat.net
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For more information, please contact:
Mr. Colin Tobin
Communications Officer
ECPAT International
+662 215 3388 ext.199
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