PREVENTING CHILD SEX TOURISM THE CODE OF CONDUCT FOR THE PROTECTION OF CHILDREN
MATTHIAS LEISINGER
Vice-President Corporate Social Responsibility, Kuoni Travel Holding Ltd, Zurich
Résumé
Parmi les domaines de responsabilité des entreprises envers les droits de l’enfant, le secteur du voyage et du tourisme revêt une importance primordiale depuis que la prostitution infantile a atteint des proportions alarmantes. L’exploitation sexuelle des enfants est une combinaison regrettable de communautés extrêmement appauvries, d’un manque d’opportunités salariales pour les familles et d’un échec de protection des enfants de la part des autorités locales de destinations touristiques. L’industrie du tourisme, qui a considérablement augmenté ces deux dernières décennies, a de grandes responsabilités envers la protection des enfants. ECPAT ainsi que beaucoup d’autres organisations œuvrant pour la protection des enfants, les gouver- nements et le secteur privé ont travaillé ensemble et ont adopté un Code de Conduite afin de préserver la sécurité des enfants dans le contexte du tourisme. C’est un exemple qui démontre d’une collaboration particulièrement réussie, et dans laquelle le secteur du tourisme a réalisé l’ampleur de leur intérêt dans la protection des enfants. Cet exemple représente un pas dans la bonne direction.
Zusammenfassung
Seit die Kinderprostitution allarmierende Ausmasse erreicht hat, nimmt der Reise- und Tourismussektor innerhalb der Zuständigkeitsbereiche der Unternehmen gegenüber den Kin- derrechten eine entscheidende Rolle ein. Sexuelle Ausbeutung von Kindern entsteht aus einer bedauernswerten Mischung von stark verarmten Gesellschaften, fehlenden Einkommensmö- 1 The Swiss Foundation for Child Protection is a Swiss children’s rights organization that is active since 30 years
in the protection of children from any form of physical or mental violence or exploitation. ECPAT Switzerland is a specialised unit at the foundation that focuses on the protection of children from sexual exploitation and from child trafficking.
glichkeiten für die Familien und gescheitertem Schutz der Kinder durch die lokalen Behörden der Tourismusdestinationen. Die Tourismusindustrie, die in den letzten zwei Jahrzehnten beträchtlich gewachsen ist, hat eine bedeutende Verantwortung für den Schutz der Kinder. ECPAT sowie wie viele andere Organisationen, die sich für den Schutz der Kinder einsetzen, die Regierungen und der Privatsektor haben zusammengearbeitet und einen Verhaltenskodex verabschiedet, um die Sicherheit der Kinder rund um den Tourismus bewahren. Das ist ein Beispiel für eine aussergewöhnlich erfolgreiche Zusammenarbeit, bei der der Tourismussek- tor das Ausmass seines Interesses am Schutz der Kinder realisiert hat. Dieses Beispiel ist ein Schritt in die richtige Richtung.
Resumen
Entre los aspectos de responsabilidad de las empresas hacia los derechos del niño, el sector de viajes y turismo reviste una importancia primordial desde que la prostitución infantil alcanzó proporciones alarmantes. La explotación sexual de los niños es una combinación deplorable de las comunidades extremadamente empobrecidas, de una falta de oportunidades salariales para las familias y de un fracaso de protección de los niños por parte de las autoridades locales en las destinaciones turísticas. La industria del turismo, que ha aumentado considerablemente estas dos ultimas décadas, tiene grandes responsabilidades hacia la protección de los niños. La ECPAT así como muchas otras organizaciones que trabajan por la protección de los niños, los gobiernos y el sector privado han trabajado juntos y adoptaron un Código de Conducta, con el fin de preservar la seguridad de los niños en el contexto del turismo. Es un ejemplo que demuestra una colaboración especialmente exitosa y en la cual el sector del turismo realizó la amplitud de su interés en la protección de los niños. Este ejemplo representa un paso en la buena dirección.
Summary
Among the areas of corporate responsibility towards children’s rights, the travel and tou- rism sector is of particular importance as child prostitution has reached alarming proportions. Sexual exploitation of children is a sad combination of extremely impoverished communities, lack of income opportunities for families, and a failure to protect children by local authorities at travel destinations. The tourism industry, which has increased tremendously in the past two decades, has a great responsibility towards the protection of children. ECPAT and many other child protection organizations, governments and the private sector worked together and adopted a Code of Conduct to keep children safe in the context of tourism. This is an example of a particularly successful collaboration in which the tourism sector understood their stake in protecting children and an important step in the right direction.
The responsibility of companies towards children’s rights is a very important area and completes the government responsibility to protect children and fully implement the UN Convention on the Rights of the Child.
One particular area of responsibility falls into the protection of children from sexual exploitation in the context of travel and tourism.
In the early 1990s, researchers at a tourism consultation in Thailand first exposed the degree to which child prostitution was increasing in many Asian countries. Child rights organizations were outraged and led a huge campaign against this form of sexual exploitation of children. The campaign “End Child Prostitution in Asian Tourism” was later transformed into ECPAT which is the acronym of “End Child Prostitution, Child Pornography and the Trafficking of Children for Sexual Purposes”. Today ECPAT International is a worldwide network that counts over 80 organizations in 75 countries and the fight against the sexual exploitation of children in tourism is sadly still a very important part of its work.2
ECPAT and many other child protection organizations, governments and the private sector worked together an adopted a Code of Conduct to keep children safe in the context of tourism. In relation to the responsibility of the private sector towards children’s rights this is an example of a particularly successful collaboration in which the tourism sector understood their stake in protecting children.
Child exploitation in tourism is sadly still a very big concern. It must be understood in
the context of Child prostitution, Child trafficking and Child pornography. Vulnerable children most at risk are children who live in extreme poverty, children working or living on the streets and children that have been trafficked (either sold or abducted). It is very difficult to say how many girls and boys are victims of sexual exploitation. Due to the sensitive and illegal nature of child sex tourism data collection is highly complex.
Child sex tourism affects many countries across the globe. Extreme poverty and a suddenly booming tourism industry are a dangerous combination for local communities. Worldwide the tourism sector is the business sector that has most increased over the past two decades offering new business opportunities – legal and illegal ones.
This shows that the tourism industry has a great responsibility towards the protection of children. The travel and tourism sector cannot be held responsible for causing the sexual
exploitation of children. It is a sad combination of extremely impoverished communities, lack of income opportunities for families, a failure to protect children by local authorities at travel destinations. Yet, (child) sex tourists book holiday offers through tour operators and from travel agencies. Child sex tourists make use of tourism facilities like hotels, bars, and nightclubs. Therefore, the tourism industry is an important stakeholder in the protection of children from child sex tourism.
The tourism industry and many governments have understood their stake in protecting children. In 1999 the World Tourism Organization UNWTO adopted the Global Code of Ethics for Tourism. At the same time, ECPAT Sweden drafted The Code of Conduct for the Protection of Children from Sexual Exploitation in Travel and Tourism.
This special Tourism Child Protection Code is an industry driven tourism initiative co-
funded by the Swiss Government – The Swiss State Secretariat for Economic Affairs (SECO) and by the tourism private sector and is supported by the ECPAT International network.
This Code of Conduct is an international tool for the prevention of child sex tourism and is supported by the private sector. The Code Organization is an organization that was esta- blished to oversee the code implementation. The secretariat is in Bangkok, Thailand. To date over 1000 companies have signed The Code of Conduct. The Code of Conduct was initially developed for tour operators but has been adapted for Tourism Federations, travel agencies, airlines, hotels and bars.
Unfortunately, the introduction of a Code of Conduct cannot eliminate child sex tourism, but it is an important step in the right direction and a major support from the private sector.
This is a remarkable collaboration between child rights organizations, governments and the business sector. The Code was even ahead of its time – a broader recognition of
corporate responsibility and obligations followed over a decade later. In 2011 the United Nations Human Rights Council endorsed the Guiding Principles for Business and Human Rights (the BHR Guidelines).3 Though it is not a legally binding document this endorsement recognized global standards of practice applicable to governments and businesses regarding business activity and human rights.4
In Switzerland a sensitization campaign against child sex tourism called “Don’t Look Away – www.stopchildsextourism.ch” is led by ECPAT Switzerland, SECO, the Federal Police and the travel and tourism industry.5 In order to ensure children’s rights it is key that all stakeholders work together. States and private companies must meet their obligations.
3 http://www.business-humanrights.org/SpecialRepPortal/Home/Protect-Respect-Remedy-Framework/Guiding- Principles; UNICEF Innocenti Research Centre, Assessing The Code of Conduct for the Protection of Children
from Sexual Exploitation in Travel and Tourism: Discussion Paper (22.02.2012), p. 33; Guiding Principles for
Business and Human Rights: Implementing the United Nations «Protect, Respect and Remedy» Framework, available for download at http://www.ohchr.org/Documents/Issues/Business/A.HRC.17.31.Add.3.pdf. 4 UNICEF Innocenti Research Centre, Assessing The Code of Conduct for the Protection of Children from Sexual
Exploitation in Travel and Tourism: Discussion Paper (22.02.2012), p. 33. 5 www.stopchildsextourism.ch.
Matthias Leisinger, Vice President Corporate Social Responsibility with Kuoni Travel Holding Ltd., whose company was an early adopter of the Tourism Child Protection Code,
emphasises, that a great strength of this Code of Conduct is that it was developed for a specific business sector – the travel and tourism sector - and consists of six very basic criteria. These are:
1. To establish an ethical policy regarding commercial sexual exploitation of children 2. To train the personnel in the country of origin and travel destinations
3. To introduce a clause in contracts with suppliers, stating a common repudiation of commercial sexual exploitation of children (introduction of a clause in contracts and a breaking clause for non-compliance)
4. To provide information to travellers by means of catalogues, brochures, in-flight films, ticket-slips, home pages, etc.
5. To provide information to local «key persons» at the destinations 6. To report annually
(In Switzerland the annual reporting and monitoring is overseen by ECPAT Switzerland) This simplicity of the criteria allows their company to fully use the Tourism Child Protec- tion Code as a Corporate Social Responsibility tool. Kuoni continues to work with ECPAT Switzerland and mainstreams child rights into their business activities. A very important area in fulfilling the Code of Conduct and improving child protection safeguards is staff training. Kuoni continues to organise trainings on the prevention of child sex tourism for their staff in Switzerland and at tourism destinations in Asia and Africa.