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UNICEF, ECPAT-USA Sign Code of Conduct with Travel and Tourism Industry

The North American launch of the Code of Conduct was held at UNICEF headquarters in New York City. Her Majesty Queen Silvia of Sweden, Carol Bellamy, UNICEF Executive Director, Dawid de Villiers (WTO Deputy Secretary General), and John Millier (US Department of State) all were invited to give Keynote speeches.

The code is designed to create a more responsible tourism industry, one vigilant against child exploitation. Its signatories commit to helping identify and report potential abusers. Fifty companies have signed on to the code, but only one from the US, Carlson Companies, Inc. The push for the travel industry to do its part to curb the demand aspect of the global sex trade comes a year after President Bush passed the Protect ACT, legislation making it illegal for US citizens to travel abroad and engage in sex with a minor.¹

The ECPAT Code of Conduct Secretariat c/o WTO is located in Madrid Spain. To access the Code of Conduct for the Projection of Children from Sexual Exploitation in Travel and Tourism, go to: www.thecode.org

To see more about the Code signing, see: http://www.unicef.org/media/media_20445.html

¹ Farrell, Michael B. “Global Campaign to Police Child Sex Tourism.” The Christian Science Monitor. April 22, 2004.