Almost one third of the trafficked victims worldwide are children. The World Day Against Trafficking in Persons is the occasion for ECPAT Belgium to remind the importance of prevention. In March 2017, we have published a brochure to inform migrant children potential victims of trafficking about their rights in Belgium. Please disseminate widely. Together, we must act against trafficking in human beings.
Copyright ECPAT Belgique « Stop à l’exploitation sexuelle commerciale des enfants »
Following the first “Global Survivors’ Forum” organized by ECPAT International and which took place at the Council of Europe in Strasbourg on November 18th 2016, the “Bill of Rights for Child Victims of Sexual Exploitation and Abuse” was published.
This Bill of Rights is the result of a collaboration involving children and young people (most of them victims of sexual abuse or exploitation), as well as several local ECPAT offices. The results of the project demonstrated that one of the major barriers to children accessing justice is a low level of awareness of their rights. The Bill of Rights was therefore developed to inform children about their right to effective access to justice and remedies.
In order to help professionals disseminate the tools, a Q&A has also been created.
Copyright ECPAT Belgique « Stop à l’exploitation sexuelle commerciale des enfants »
A summary of the Global Study of ECPAT International on sexual exploitation of children in travel and tourism, to which ECPAT Belgium contributed, is now available in French.
This study shed a new light on the phenomenon of sexual exploitation of children in travel and tourism and debunked a few myths related to the offenders and victims, as well as on the places and circumstances in which the phenomenon may occur.
A child-friendly version is also available in French.
Copyright ECPAT Belgique « Stop à l’exploitation sexuelle commerciale des enfants »
At the occasion of the 25th anniversary of the UN Convention on the Rights of the Child, ECPAT Belgium publishes its Global Monitoring Report on the Status of Action against Commercial Sexual Exploitation of Children in Belgium.
In Belgium, the sexual exploitation of children still exists and both foreign-born and Belgian minors are exploited through prostitution, pornography and trafficking.
Despite a robust legal framework and the commitment of the Belgian authorities to end sexual exploitation against children, more can be done to better protect children from these heinous crimes.
ECPAT’s report suggests priority actions urgently needed to proactively advance the national fight against CSEC. These actions include: the adoption of a national plan of action against CSEC; improving the training of front line workers coming into contact with potential CSEC victims; increasing support for victims of sexual exploitation and trafficking; and increasing child and youth participation in the fight against CSEC.
See also our analysis « La Convention pour les droits de l’enfant, 25 ans après : avancées et défis dans la lutte contre l’exploitation sexuelle commerciale des enfants » (in French only) and the Press release.