Paul Gonsalves wrote:
>
> FIGHT AGAINST CHILD SEX TOURISM
>
> >From the DG XXIII European Commission
> (Enterprise Policy, Distributive Trades, Tourism and Cooperatives)
>
> We reproduce hereafter a document referring to the ways one can fight
> against sex tourism; this article was kindly sent to us by one of our
> correspondent by the end of March 1999. Hopefully, tourism and Ecotourism in
> Central Africa does not yet meet this problem. Anyway, we considered that
> this problem is a potential threat in this area, as its is already a reality
> in Maghreb and Machrek.
>
> I believe it is high time to react and act carefully and with
> responsibility.
>
> Tourism must be the winner in the fight against child sex tourism.
>
> Commissioner Christos Papoutsis
>
> The European Commission has been aware for years both of the extent and
> seriousness of the problem of child sex tourism and of the fact that the
> European public opinion in general, and tourists and the tourism industry in
> particular, are becoming increasingly sensitive to this problem.
>
> The specific proposals for action to be found in the Commission's
> Communication of 27 November 1996 on combating child sex tourism (OJ C 3 of
> 07.01.1997) are part of the European Union's general contribution to
> intensifying the fight against the sexual exploitation of children.
>
> The Commission's Communication provides a reference framework for Community
> action to combat child sex tourism, placing it in a medium and long term
> perspective. The overall strategy set out in this document is twofold:
>
> on the one hand, reducing demand, in cooperation with the tourism industry
> and the NGOs concerned (coordination of information and awareness-raising
> campaigns, strengthening of the industry's codes of conduct and
> self-regulatory mechanisms, etc.);
> on the other hand, addressing the sources of supply in countries of
> destination, using all appropriate means, including the Community's external
> relations and development cooperation policies.
> The European Parliament's Resolution of 6 November 1997 (OJ C 358 of
> 24.11.1997) and the (Tourism Council's Declaration of 26 November 1997) have
> revealed a broad agreement on the main features of the Commission's
> Communication.
>
> This support has since been reaffirmed by the creation of a new budget line
> B7-663 (500.000 ECU for 1998, 1.000.000 EURO for 1999), with these funds
> intended for campaigns in the European Union to counter the development of
> child sex tourism.
>
> The implementation of the proposals for action against child sex tourism
> started in 1997, focussing on a limited number of targeted objectives
> responding to the need to deter and punish child sex abusers, to stem the
> flow of child sex tourists from the European Union, to help to combat child
> sex tourism in third countries and to encourage Member States to take a
> united stand against this phenomenon.
>
> Deterring and punishing child sex abusers
>
> In this respect, reference has to be made to the joint action of the Council
> of 24 February 1997 concerning action to combat trafficking in human beings
> and sexual exploitation of children (OJ N° L 63 of 04.03.1997), which opens
> the way to more effective laws and law enforcement, including
> extraterritorial criminal laws.
>
> It has to be mentioned also that the Commission, through the STOP program
> and the DAPHNE initiative respectively, gives support to officials and
> professional workers as well as non governmental organizations and voluntary
> organizations active in the fight against the sexual exploitation of
> children.
>
> Nevertheless, responsibility for the apprehension and prosecution of
> offenders is a matter for the law enforcement and justice authorities of the
> Member state concerned.
>
> Stemming the flow of sex tourists from the European Union Member States
>
> It was decided in 1997 to launch an initiative designed to reinforce the
> co-ordination, at a European level, of the national information and
> awareness-raising campaigns against child sex tourism. The two projects
> already selected for co-financing have been successfully implemented in
> 1998. Complementary projects should be supported this year also.
>
> The aim of the terre des hommes project (E-mail: terre@t-online.de) is to
> make air travelers aware of the problem of child sex tourism. To this end,
> an information and awareness-raising spot produced by terre des hommes is
> being shown in aircraft during long-haul flights.
>
> Deutsche Lufthansa is the first airline to have decided to show such a spot
> during its long-haul flights.
> Talks are under way with other airlines in order to ensure the widest
> possible distribution of the message.
>
> The Groupe Développement / ECPAT project (E-mail:
> 100636.3360@Compuserve.com) has two objectives:
>
> to inform travelers by distributing a "luggage tag" accompanied by an
> information leaflet. Travelers are invited to put this "luggage tag" on
> their cases to show their commitment to the fight against child sex tourism.
> 300 000 leaflets were handed out in 1998 to travelers in Germany, France,
> Belgium and the Netherlands;
> to train those in the industry by developing teaching tools for lecturers in
> travel and tourism. The ECPAT teams in Belgium, Germany and the Netherlands
> have drawn on experience in France in developing their own teaching tools.
> By its nature, the project is intended to be extended to other countries of
> Europe.
>
> As part of the 23rd Brussels Travel Fair which took place from 24 to 26
> November 1998, a large area was provided for the European Commission to
> present initiatives in the field of combating child sex tourism. The "First
> European meeting of the main partners in the fight against child sex
> tourism" was also held in the context of this professional fair, with the
> participation of many experts and prominent personalities. This "event",
> organized at the initiative of the European Commission, was a genuine first,
> a far-reaching demonstration that kept pace with the increasing sensitivity
> shown by European public opinion with regard to the perversion of tourism
> that is child sex tourism.
>
> In this respect, it has to be noted that a Eurobarometer survey on the issue
> of child sex tourism was carried out between 7 April and 27 May 1998. The
> results of this survey (16.165 face-to-face interviews all over the European
> Union) are being widely disseminated (European Commission - Directorate
> General XXIII, Europeans and their Views on Child Sex Tourism, Executive
> Summary of a Eurobarometer Survey, July 1998, 29 p.). They constitute useful
> points of reference for all those involved in the fight against child sex
> tourism. Made available to the main partners in this fight, they should help
> to clarify the choices in terms of strategy development.
>
> Europeans and their views on child sex tourism
>
> A large proportion (85%) of those questioned were "aware" of the problem,
> which they regarded as "widespread" (63%) and "on the increase world-wide"
> (55%).
> Although the phenomenon also affects the EU territory it is seen by the
> majority of Europeans as particularly acute in Asia (83%), Latin America
> (69%), Central and Eastern Europe (68%), and Africa (67%).
> Child sex tourism is generally seen in Europe as being linked to poverty
> (72%), child sex abuse (55%), international trafficking in children (49%),
> social exclusion (37%) and extreme forms of child labor (25%).
> There was almost universal moral condemnation (92%) of the practice, which
> was deemed "illegal" by 88%, with a slightly smaller number (74%) including
> acts committed outside the territory of the Member States in the definition.
> A small but significant proportion of those questioned (4%) claimed to have
> encountered the problem of child sex tourism on their holidays.
> Learning that one of their holiday destinations is known to be a place where
> child sex tourism occurs would be enough to put half the European Union
> population (54%) off going there, while a larger number of Europeans (69%)
> would demand that services offered are in no way linked to this practice,
> and an even larger number (74%) would be especially careful if they went
> there.
> To combat child sex tourism, seen as a largely "avoidable" problem by 63% of
> European respondents, priority is given to punitive measures (38%) and
> prevention (36%), ahead of help for the child victims (22%).
>
> Extracts from the executive summary
>
> Last, but not least, particular attention is being paid to encouraging the
> drawing up and application of standards of conduct likely to eliminate
> practices which are not in line with the tourism ethic.
>
> Helping to combat child sex tourism in third countries
>
> The Community's external relations and development co-operation policies
> include programs to uphold human rights under which funding is available to
> combat the sexual exploitation of children. These programs frequently
> involve partnership with NGOs and voluntary organizations active in the
> third countries concerned. In this context, particular attention is being
> paid to rationalizing methods for action and coordinating the Community
> resources available for the protection of children who are victims of sex
> tourism.
>
> As part of the European Community strategy to support the development of
> sustainable tourism in the developing countries, efforts should continue to
> ensure that the matter of combating child sex tourism is addressed as part
> of a structured political dialogue with the countries most affected,
> particularly at regional level (See the Commission's Communication on A
> European Community strategy to support the development of sustainable
> tourism in the developing countries, COM(1998)563 final of 14.10.1998).
>
> Of particular concern to the commission is the alarming rise of cases of
> sexual exploitation of children in the countries of Eastern and Central
> Europe which in some case involve cross-border trafficking. Within this
> region, the PHARE, TACIS and LIEN programs, in particular work towards the
> prevention of sexual exploitation and the recovery and reintegration of
> child victims.
>
> The need to include the issue of child sex tourism on the agenda of EU
> enlargement with the Eastern and Central Europe countries, and in the
> dialogue with other regions of the world (Asia notably), is highlighted in
> the Economic and Social Committee's Opinion of 2 July 1998 (OJ N° C 284 of
> 14.09.1998).
>
> Encouraging the European Union Member States to take a united stand
> against child sex tourism
>
> In its communication, the Commission considered it highly desirable that the
> Council should define its position, and called upon the Member States to
> dispel any doubt as to their willingness and ability to combat this
> affliction.
>
> The above mentioned (Tourism) Council's Declaration of 26 November 1997
> constitutes a first step in this direction, as well as the (Development)
> Council's Resolution of 30 November 1998.
>
> Finally, it is worth recalling that the Commission intends to produce a
> report to the European Parliament, the Council, the Economic and Social
> Committee and the Committee of the Regions, on the implementation of the
> measures planned and the progress made in combating child sex tourism in
> 1997 and 1998.
>
> For further information
> Write to: European Commission Directorate-General XXIII - Tourism
> Directorate Rue de la Loi, 200 B-1049 Brussels
> Or contact: Jean-Claude.Eude@dg23.cec.be
>
> fwd by:
>
> Paul Gonsalves
> Bangalore, India
> + 91 80 525 4054
> asfute@vsnl.com
>
> from
> QuaternariA AfricanA TouristicA, GEODE
> télécopie : 241.72.68.80. : email geode-gabon@internetgabon.com
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