Child Trafficking

Yesterday (9th October 2012), first time in Poland, leading company of Polish hotel market signed the Code of Conduct which is an instrument of self-regulation and corporate social responsibility providing increased protection to children from sexual exploitation in travel and tourism. It is regarded as one of the world's major tools for combating child sex tourism and comprises a set of six criteria which travel and tourism companies follow in order to provide protection to vulnerable children in tourism destinations. Signatory companies must implement the six criteria according to a set of minimum standards, a timeframe and reporting requirements.

First Children's Embassy in the World Megjashi from Macedonia has just issued a new newsletter in which you can find the latest contents regarding the ongoing activities within the organization.

Nobody's Children Foundation has just published a report from a case - file study on prostitution-related crimes and child trafficking in Poland. It presents conclusions from research on prostitution-related crimes and the crime of trafficking in children for commercial sexual exploitation. English translation is the summary of the full version of the report available in Polish.

Commercial sexual exploitation of children means not only forced prostitution, but also undertaking sexual contacts with minors in exchange for money or gifts. It is a form of child abuse and a crime punished with imprisonment. Although teenagers offering or consenting to sex in exchange for gifts or money can look older than they are in reality, the adults are those responsible for abusing a child.

During big sport events children are more at risk of commercial sexual exploitation due to increased inflow of tourists, feeling of anonymity of offenders in a foreign country and organised crime activity.

Nobody's Children Foundation in Poland and Child Well- being Fund in Ukraine are running educational campaign on the issue of threats associated with commercial sexual exploitation faced by children and youth.