A two-year Global Study initiated by ECPAT International—and supported by Marilyn Carlson Nelson, the Carlson Family Foundation and Carlson Rezidor Hotels—reveals that despite a 20-year multi-sector effort to end the Sexual Exploitation of Children in Travel and Tourism (SECTT) more children are being sexually exploited than ever before. This is an endemic phenomenon throughout the world.
A two-year Global Study initiated by ECPAT International—and supported by Marilyn Carlson Nelson, the Carlson Family Foundation and Carlson Rezidor Hotels—reveals that despite a 20-year multi-sector effort to end the Sexual Exploitation of Children in Travel and Tourism (SECTT) more children are being sexually exploited than ever before. This is an endemic phenomenon throughout the world.
Natalie Volin Lehr, director of Corporate Affairs, Carlson, was among the speakers at a high profile launch of the Global Study on Capitol Hill. She explained, “Carlson believes that every company has a social responsibility to promote and enhance human rights.”
“We must all share the burden of ending sexual exploitation of children in travel and tourism,” said Dr. Najat Maalla M’jid, chair of the High-Level Task Force for the Global Study on the Sexual Exploitation of Children in Travel and Tourism. “It is a moral obligation to act now to protect all children from this shocking crime wherever they are.”
The Global Study explains that too often today’s travel and tourism sectors provide services that can be exploited by offenders and create environments that facilitate access to children. Evidence suggests that there are three key links between travel and tourism sectors and SECTT:
- Tourist development itself can disrupt local economies and make children more vulnerable to exploitation.
- Child sex is offered to tourists and travelers, and offenders use travel and tourism infrastructures to get access to victims.
The Carlson Family Foundation funded the creation of a video animation to support the Global Study launch, which can be viewed HERE.
Marilyn Carlson Nelson served on the Global Study’s High Level Taskforce, alongside Dr. M’jid, Chair, former UN Special Rapporteur on the sale of children, child prostitution and child pornography; Dr. Taleb Rifai, Secretary-General of the World Tourism Organization (UNWTO) and Jean-Cyril Spinetta, former CEO of Air France-KLM SA. The Global Study, funded by the Ministry of Foreign Affairs of the Netherlands through ECPAT-Defense for Children in the Netherlands, involved more than 70 contributors from the public and private sectors.
For more information and access to the full study, click HERE.
Published May 12, 2016 12pm EDT / 9am PDT / 5pm BST / 6pm CEST
Sustainable Brands Staff