Message from the Executive Director

This summary report provides a glimpse of the key activities undertaken and the achievements gained in the course of the year. I would like to take this opportunity to underscore some of important elements, which made this year both unique and challenging and to further highlight some of the important work, which has underpinned it.

As is well known, a key agenda of the global ECPAT network is to advocate for and support the implementation of the Agenda for Action. ECPAT organizations worldwide promote the development of national plans of action among governments party to the Stockholm Agenda for Action, as well as other nations not yet to committed to it. This work represents a major element of ECPAT’s ongoing work at the national, regional and global level.

Despite significant efforts and achievements over the last five years, at the beginning of 2000, only 50 countries of the 120 committed to the Agenda for Action had developed National Plans of Action, appointed focal points or gathered data as agreed upon in Stockholm in 1996. For ECPAT, the effort to close this gap between commitment and implementation is thus a central and ongoing challenge.

The work undertaken for this purpose in this reporting period has been pursued through multi-pronged strategies. These include: a) development and support of local level networks of organizations focused on combating CSEC; b) technical support to build capacity in specific areas of intervention relevant to the development and implementation of national plans (such as legislative analysis and reform, development of proactive tourism sector policies and strategies to combat child sex tourism, specialized training for caregivers working with children victims of CSEC, among others); c) promotion of knowledge building through situational analysis studies and action research; d) documentation, data analysis and information dissemination.

Over the course of this reporting period ECPAT has systematized and given depth to this overall work agenda. ECPAT supported situational analysis research in Southern and Northern Africa, which have served to anchor the development of local plans with government and other actors for improved action on CSEC. In several countries in Asia, ECPAT groups have been supported to input on development of National Plans of Action. In seven countries of Central America a major research study on the CSEC situation in the region was undertaken to serve as a foundation for a legislative reform initiative, supported by the EU. ECPAT also organized training in Eastern Europe and Asia for caregivers working with child victims of commercial sexual exploitation and developed the most comprehensive online databank on country specific information related to CSEC.

Other activities include a national survey on Internet usage among children in Thailand, collaboration with the hotel industry to develop regional strategies to combat child sex tourism, publication of various best practices to promote innovative strategies and the promotion of community-law enforcement linkages to prevent commercial sexual exploitation of children.

Simultaneously with this work, ECPAT also participated in the planning and organizing of the Second World Congress against CSEC. Assisting to organize for a global assessment of progress in addressing CSEC was a central part of ECPAT’s work in this period. Thus throughout the second half of 2001 and early 2002, ECPAT directed significant time, personnel and other resources to activities related to the Yokohama Congress. This included galvanizing input and participation of ECPAT groups around the world in preparatory regional activities leading to the Congress in December, as well as organizing technical workshops and thematic papers and assuming major responsibility for youth and NGO participation.

In the midst of these demanding activities, Muireann O Briain, who served as ECPAT International Executive Director for three years, managed a smooth, warm and effective turnover with me, her replacement. Her professional leadership during her years of her association with ECPAT solidified a firm base for ECPAT’s programs and services and for its administrative and governance structures, which have enabled the organization to contribute significantly to the struggle against CSEC. We are all pleased that Ms. O Briain will continue her involvement with ECPAT as a legal consultant.

In the second half of the year ECPAT prepared and ratified a new Strategic Directions document. Based on this document, operational plans for the years 2002-2005 are being developed. In addition, ECPAT participated in a special session of UNGASS focusing on follow up of the Yokohama Congress and began fundraising and preparations for hosting the Second ECPAT International Assembly that will bring together members of the network in Bangkok on September 4-7, 2002. The Assembly will be marked by the election of a new governing Board, which will, for the first time, include a youth representative from the ECPAT youth network. It will also be an occasion for formal review of governance structures and guidelines and for the development of technical capacity and planning for the ECPAT network’s follow up of Yokohama commitments. Preparations for the Assembly have included coordination of regional nomination and election processes to develop a slate of youth candidates for elections to the Board.

As will be evident from the above, this has been an enormously demanding year in which the strong foundation which has been established in the last years has served ECPAT well enabling it to sustain its high quality work around planned activities while also allowing it to respond to opportunities such as playing a key role in the World Congress and the demands of managing organizational transitions.

In closing I would like to acknowledge and thank all the dedicated staff of ECPAT around the world and at the Secretariat for their ongoing commitment and professional work throughout this demanding year and all our partners, supporters and friends who stand in solidarity with ECPAT in the struggle against CSEC.

Carmen Madrinan