28 November 2008, Rio de Janeiro – The sexual exploitation of children is not inevitable. That was the message coming out of Rio de Janeiro today where 137 governments have been meeting with children, international organizations, NGOs and private sector companies. more...

25 November 2008, Rio de Janeiro – Young activists from around the world, age 19 to 24, met to draw recommendations and map out ways in which they can actively participate in the fight against sexual exploitation of children. Leading up to the World Congress III against Sexual Exploitation of Children and Adolescents, young people organized and lead a Youth Preparatory Meeting. Read their recommendations here [ English | Portuguese ].

With over 137 official Government delegations from all regions of the world participating in the World Congress III against Sexual Exploitation of Children (WCIII), ECPAT International expects States to strengthen their actions to protect children, including addressing the demand that fuels sexual exploitation of children. Press release available in English l Portuguese | Spanish l French

This new publication contains important information for youth to prepare for WCIII - from information about the Children and Adolescents Preparatory Forum to be held on 24 and 25 November to how to make sure the trip is safe and
comfortable. English l Spanish

As a result of the recent Child and Youth Preparatory Forum, youth participants put forward the following recommendation for their region. more

 

A workshop targeting Brazilian NGOs will be held in Rio simultaneously with WCIII in support of the WCIII process. Over 1000 participants are expected to attend to promote a national and Latin American debate on related issues. For more information and to register, click here or see www.cbe-visca.org.br (in Portuguese only).

Despite some progress in recent years in addressing the problem of sexual exploitation of children in Europe and Central Asia, much more needs to be done, including identifying child victims and providing support, closer cooperation among countries in the region and tougher enforcement of laws. More...

As a result of the two-day Children and Young People’s Participation in the South Asia Forum's Regional Preparatory Consultation, youth participants put forward the following recommendation for their region. more...

Participants from eight nations have identified areas in which they can forge collective action to tackle the proliferation, and new forms, of sexual exploitation of children and adolescents throughout South Asia. Press Release | Preliminary Recommendations

The Children and Youth Participation Commission has prepared s set of documents to facilitate safe and meaningful participation of children and adolescents to the Congress. more...

ECPAT International has launched a new on-line tool to enable young people under the age of 25 from around the world to share their experiences and knowledge on sexual exploitation at the upcoming World Congress III. more...

Proposals emerging from the two days of discussions will be presented at World Congress III. more...

Youth participants to the Latin American Regional Preparatory Meeting present a Declaration for action. more...

The region's governments have put forward a set of time-bound goals and targets to mitigate the issues of child prostitution, trafficking, cyber crimes and abuse in travel and tourism. more...

East Asia and the Pacific youth identify key CSEC issues to be brought forward to WCIII. more...

We urge you to support the full prohibition of all violence against children - including all corporal punishment and other cruel and degrading forms of punishment of boys and girls. English | French | Spanish | Portuguese | Russian

From the Vietnam War and prostitution in Thailand to the founding of ECPAT and the third World Congress against the Commercial Sexual Exploitation of Children to be held in Rio this year, Ron O’Grady, a Founder of ECPAT and Board member of ECPAT NZ offers an eloquent history of this unprecedented world movement. more...

Children and adolescents around the globe are working together with ECPAT International to put an end to the commercial sexual exploitation of children in the lead up to the World Congress III against Sexual Exploitation of Children and Adolescents to be held 25-28 November, 2008 in Rio de Janeiro, Brazil. more...

Integrating and strengthening Adolescent's participation in World Congress III- the Adolescent Concept Note is now available on ECPAT’s World Congress website

The purpose of this Concept Note is to illustrate the strategy for adolescent participation at the World Congress III.

On May 28 to 29, the First National Forum on the World Congress III took place in Recife, Brazil. More than 100 participants attended this event, coming from all the States of Brazil and representing NGOs, international organizations and the government. The opening ceremony took place on May 27 and summoned high rank officials from the government of Brazil, including Carmen Oliviera, member of the Central Organizing Committee for the World Congress and in representation of the government of Brazil. 

The first two days were dedicated to presentations and panels on different aspects of all the themes of the Congress: national systems of child rights protection; legal framework in Brazil; trafficking of children; child sex tourism; child sexual exploitation on the Internet; public policies for protection of women and children from sexual exploitation; multi-sector coordination; corporate social responsibility; and child and youth participation on combating CSEC.

On May 29, five working groups were formed to deepen the discussions around the themes of the Congress and to establish Brazil’s participation during this event. Working groups were centered on child and youth participation mechanisms; private sector; multi-sector coordination; international cooperation and legal framework.

The Planning Meeting in preparation of the Regional Consultation for the Latin American region was held in Recife, Brazil on May 27. Participants at the meeting included: Government of Brazil, represented by the Sub-Secretariat for Promotion of Child Rights; Government of Argentina, represented by the Secretariat of Vulnerable Populations; UNICEF-Brazil; ILO-IPEC; Save the Children Sweden – Costa Rica; Bureau International Catholique L’Enfance (BICE); Terre des Hommes – Brazil; and ECPAT International, represented by the Executive Director, the Board Representative for Latin America and the Regional Associate for America.

At this meeting, it was agreed that this is a key opportunity for committing governments to have concrete public policies, national systems of protection, measurable indicators and a monitoring mechanism. The Latin American Regional Consultation is proposed to be held in Buenos Aires Argentina on August 20 and 21. Around 150 participants will attend from countries in Latin America and the Caribbean and the themes of the meetings will be: CSEC manifestations, private sector initiatives, national systems of child rights protection and establishment of a monitoring mechanism for the region.

All the participating organizations are looking forward to contributing to this Regional Consultation and the World Congress III.

On 26 to 27 of May, the ECPAT Brazil coalition held their annual General Assembly in Recife, Brazil. The Board Representative for Latin America and the Regional Associate for Americas were invited to attend and to present on ECPAT’s work at international and regional level. During the meeting, there were discussions on governance issues such as the constitution of ECPAT Brazil, membership criteria as well as processes and the election of the new National Coordinator. The ECPAT Brazil coalition is currently composed of 23 organizations throughout Brazil implementing projects ranging from working with the private sector to preventing child sex tourism to direct care for CSEC victims, sensitization and awareness raising with different target groups and research. Four of the organizations are also hosting young people in active roles. As a result of the discussions, the coordination of diverse projects will be handled by three organizations: IBIS-Rio de Janeiro, Colectivo Mulher Vida and Associaçao Curumins organization, represented by their youth member. 

ECPAT International would like to recognize the amazing work ECPAT Brazil members are carrying out and wishes the new coordination a very fruitful year, particularly considering the attention the World Congress will bring to the action against CSEC in Brazil.

In the week of 21 to 25 April 2008, the Innocenti Centre in Florence Italy hosted three different meetings related to preparations for World Congress III.

During the period 21-22 April 2008 UNICEF Innocente organized a thematic meeting focusing on areas related to child trafficking and child sexual exploitation in travel and tourism. It invited wide participation from agencies including representation from government, bilateral and multilateral agencies as well as NGOs. ECPAT network groups from Netherlands, Austria, Germany, Denmark, Italy, Costa Rica and Philippines participated too. More information on this consultation can be found at http://www.unicef-irc.org/worldcongress3/

The meeting was attended by Congress partners’ representatives - Government of Brazil, UNICEF, ECPAT International and the NGO Group for the Convention on the Rights of the Child, and representatives of the Governments of Japan and Sweden in their role as permanent advisors. Japp Doek, the General Rapporteur for the Congress also attended.