Background Information

In 1990, when a group of researchers first exposed the degree to which child prostitution was increasing in many Asian countries, participants of a tourism consultation were astonished to realise the size of the problems. The consultation ended with a determination to take action. It was decided that there would be a great deal of goodwill for a well organised campaign and an official name for the campaign was chosen: End Child Prostitution in Asian Tourism (ECPAT). The campaign would have a sense of urgency and be limited to three years (1991-1993), and it would focus specifically on the ‘commercial’ aspect of sexual exploitation of children to be most effective.

An office opened in Bangkok in January, 1991; national offices in Sri Lanka, Philippines and Taiwan followed shortly afterwards. By the end of the first year ECPAT had expanded to include groups in Australia, Canada, France, Germany, Japan, Netherlands, Switzerland, Sweden, United Kingdom and the United States.

ECPAT had given itself three years to end child prostitution in Asian tourism. Admitting that it was an ambitious goal that could not be fulfilled in such a short time period, it was agreed to continue ECPAT’s work for a further three year period (1994-1996).

Over these years, it became evident that the number of sexually exploited children was growing rapidly in Latin America, Eastern Europe and Africa. Plans were laid to move beyond the Asian region and monitor the commercial sexual exploitation of children around the world. In 1996, ECPAT in partnership with UNICEF and the NGO Group for the Rights of the Child, co-organised a World Congress against the Commercial Sexual Exploitation of Children, hosted by the Government of Sweden.

By the time the second phase of the campaign came to an end in 1996, there were ECPAT offices established in 27 countries, and informal networks in several more countries were in regular contact with ECPAT. It was agreed that ECPAT would continue for another 5 years; however there were to be some significant changes.

ECPAT ceased to be a campaign and became a non governmental organisation (NGO). The emphasis on Asia alone and tourism alone was broadened. ECPAT would now work for the protection of children in every part of the world and include the whole range of issues revolving around the commercial sexual exploitation of children. The acronym ECPAT was retained as the overall name of the organisation, but it was to be defined in a different way. ECPAT now stands for End Child Prostitution, Child Pornography and Trafficking of Children for Sexual Purposes.

The strength of the ECPAT movement is based on its activities at local, national and international levels. The ECPAT network as a whole is composed of the national and affiliate groups, who gather every 3 years and form the International Assembly; the Executive Board, elected by the Assembly; and the International Secretariat in Bangkok. The combination of the work of all the ECPAT actors give the movement an increasing status and authority in international circles.

ECPAT held its first International Assembly in 1999. It offered a venue for all members of the ECPAT network to gather in one place, at one time. Many people from the ECPAT network met each other here for the first time. The following year, young people from around the world gathered in Manila for an International Conference on Young People’s Participation. This was a culmination of a larger ECPAT project to raise awareness among young people, and to promote their active involvement in ending sexual exploitation of children. An ECPAT youth network took shape at this Conference. In 2001, the Government of Japan hosted a Second World Congress, echoing the successful partnership of the first Congress, ECPAT, UNICEF and the NGO Group were the co-organisers of the event. In May 2002, these partners once again joined forces to organise a side-event to highlight follow-up to the Second World Congress at the UN General Assembly Special Session on Children.

The ECPAT movement is indeed one of the main players in the ongoing fight against commercial sexual exploitation of children.