A4 MEDIA RELEASE English s4

6/6/20186/6/2018

SPEECH BY MS AIDA GIRMA, UNICEF REPRESENTATIVE AT THE LAUNCH OF THE CODE IN SANDTON ON TUESDAY, 8 JUNE 2010 ______Ms Jennifer Seif, Executive Director of Fair Trade in Tourism South Africa (FTTSA) Ambassador Thandiwe January-McLean, CEO of South African Tourism (SAT) Mr. Vic Van Vuuren, the Regional Director of the International Labor Organization (ILO) Tourism industry officials Members of the media and other guests

Good morning.

I am very pleased to be here this morning to take part in the launch of the Code of Conduct for the Protection of Children from Sexual Exploitation in Travel and Tourism, known simply as THE CODE.

Child sex tourism is a rapidly growing global industry whose commodity comprises of desperately poor and unprotected children that are hired for the pleasures and predilections of travelling elites. It is an illegal and highly exploitative business that, despite its clandestine nature, is thriving in major tourist destinations worldwide.

Its victims constitute a significant proportion of the two million children who UNICEF estimates are exploited in prostitution and pornography worldwide.

1 6/6/20186/6/2018

The day-to-day violence and abuse they experience is almost too appalling to imagine, and often has lifelong health, social and emotional impacts.

According to ECPAT, the network on End Child Prostitution, Child Pornography and Trafficking of Children for Sexual Purposes, child sex tourism is defined as “the commercial sexual exploitation of children by men or women who travel from one place to another, usually from a richer country to one that is less developed, and there engage in sexual acts with children” UNICEF experience suggests that poverty is the most significant societal factor contributing to the commercial sexual exploitation of children. Desperate family economic circumstances can make children easy targets for recruiters.

While South Africa is not commonly known as a major child sex tourism destination, its socio-economic context and high levels of disparity places large numbers of children at risk. Indeed, there are over 12 million children currently living in poverty in South Africa; furthermore, the country shares relatively porous borders with some six neighbouring countries where children suffer from the crippling effects of economic crisis and HIV/AIDS. The tourist influx and economic opportunities linked to this month’s World Cup will surely exacerbate these risks, and could serve as a platform for the establishment of the sex tourism industry in South Africa – should robust preventive measures not be taken.

In this respect, UNICEF is pleased with the commitment demonstrated in South Africa to stopping the sexual exploitation of children. This is evident not only in

2 6/6/20186/6/2018

the enactment of recent legislation that strengthens the criminalisation of the use of children in prostitution; but also in the measures in place to strengthen the protection of children during the World Cup period. These measures received a personal endorsement from President Jacob Zuma during the launch of child protection week last month.

The tourism industry is critical in the fight against commercial sexual exploitation, hence the importance of today’s launch of the Code. UNICEF commends Fair Trade in Tourism South Africa for leading the launch of the Code of Conduct in South Africa and applauds the significant commitment by private sector tourism and hospitality signatories at today’s event. We would also like to thank ILO for partnering with FTTSA and UNICEF in supporting the launch of the Code and the associated Red Card campaign to prevent child exploitation.

When it comes to the sexual exploitation of children, there can be no innocent bystanders. We can no longer look the other way while members of our own communities are abusing children in the most unthinkable ways. These are perpetrators of the worst kind. They not only display a callous disregard for human dignity, they do so with total impunity.”

Together, we must demonstrate zero tolerance for child exploitation and trafficking to make South Africa a tourist destination that is safe for children.

THE END