Regional Report Latin America 2016
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GLOBAL STUDY ON SEXUAL EXPLOITATION OF CHILDREN IN TRAVEL AND TOURISM REGIONAL REPORT LATIN AMERICA 2016 GLOBAL STUDY ON SEXUAL EXPLOITATION OF CHILDREN IN TRAVEL AND TOURISM REGIONAL REPORT LATIN AMERICA JUNE 2016 This Regional Report on Sexual Exploitation of Children in Travel and Tourism was conducted and written by Ms. Lesly Zambrano Moreno and Ms. Isabel Abreu with the support of Mr. Mark Vender. The research was conducted in the framework of the Global Study on Sexual Exploitation of Children in Travel and Tourism. More information can be found on www.globalstudysectt.org. The views expressed in this report are those of the authors and do not necessarily reflect those of ECPAT International or any of the donors. June 2016 Copyright © ECPAT International jointly with Defence for Children – ECPAT Netherlands ECPAT International 328/1 Phayathai Road Ratchathewi, Bangkok 10400 Thailand Tel: +66 2 215 3388 Fax: +66 2 215 8272 Email: [email protected] Website: www.ecpat.net Design by: QUO, Bangkok The Global Study has been made possible with the financial support from the Ministry of Foreign Affairs of the Netherlands through Defence for Children – ECPAT Netherlands CONTENTS Acknowledgements 6 Foreword 7 Acronyms 8 Executive Summary 11 Purpose 11 Procedure 11 Results 12 Chapter 1: Introduction 15 Chapter 2: Context of the Study and Terminology 18 Objectives 18 Methodology 18 Terminology 19 Chapter 3: SECTT in Latin America: Contributing Factors 23 The Growth of Travel and Tourism 23 Structural Factors of Vulnerability 25 The Impact of Social Norms and Practices 29 Corruption and Impunity 31 The Emergence of SECTT in Latin America 32 The Scale and Scope of SECTT 36 Chapter 4: SECTT: Current and Emerging Patterns in Latin America 43 Nexus between the Civil Conflict/Criminal Activities and SECTT 43 Trafficking of Children and SECTT 45 Technology and SECTT 46 The Sexual Exploiters 48 Children’s Voices and SECTT 52 Chapter 5: International, Regional and National Responses to SECTT 56 Background: Appearance of SECTT on the Latin American Agenda 56 Coordination and Cooperation 58 Prevention 62 Protection 70 Recovery and Reintegration 75 Participation of Children and Young People 78 Chapter 6: Remaining Challenges and Recommendations 81 Appendix 1: Corruption Perceptions Index 87 Appendix 2: National Action Plans 88 Appendix 3: Code of Conduct Initiatives 97 Appendix 4: Signing and Ratification of Conventions and Protocols 100 Appendix 5: Laws Relating to SECTT and Related Crimes 101 Bibliography 107 ACKNOWLEDGEMENTS ECPAT would like to thank the members of the Network of ECPAT International in Latin America for their support and input in the desk review. The network members provided valuable and up-to-date information from the ground that helped shape this report. CHS Alternativo – ECPAT Peru, ECPAT Brasil, Fundación Renacer-ECPAT Colombia, ECPAT Guatemala and ECPAT México also provided specific comments. The research was supported by Emily Sherwood and Mohammed Sesay and fact-checked by Camila Azevedo. Finally, we are grateful to Defence for Children-ECPAT Netherlands for their trust in ECPAT International to conduct the Global Study on the Sexual Exploitation of Children in Travel and Tourism and also this report as part of the study. 6 GLOBAL STUDY ON SEXUAL EXPLOITATION OF CHILDREN IN TRAVEL AND TOURISM FOREWORD More children than ever are at risk of being sexually exploited by travellers and tourists and no country is immune. Since the early 1990s, when evidence came to light that travellers, mainly from the West, were sexually abusing and exploiting children in developing countries, sharp increases in travel and tourism have multiplied the opportunities and venues available to travelling child sex offenders worldwide. Tourist arrivals have quadrupled since 1980, generating increased revenues in Latin America. Around three-quarters of all international travellers to Latin America originate in the U.S. and Canada, while other visitors come mostly from Europe. Domestic and inter-regional travel is also significant, often double the number of foreign tourists. The explosion of the internet and mobile technology has afforded perpetrators anonymity and hidden pathways to groom children and seduce them via social media and internet games. Likewise, new travel and tourism services like home-stays, voluntourism and the shareconomy have increased this anonymity and heightened children’s vulnerability. However, progress has been made since the First World Congress against Commercial Sexual Exploitation of Children held in Stockholm in 1996. Twenty years later, world leaders from nearly every country in the world have approved global targets to end the sexual exploitation of children, the Sustainable Development Goals, which replace the Millennium Development Goals from 2016 onwards. The world has recognised that we cannot allow children to fall victim to this devastating experience, which has life-long consequences on their mental and physical well-being. This report provides an updated picture of the environment in which sexual exploitation of children in travel and tourism persists in Latin America and proposes a set of recommendations to further improve government, non-government and private sector responses to prevent and combat this crime. As such, it will assist in the realisation of the Sustainable Development Goals related to children’s right to live free from sexual exploitation. After 25 years of working on the issue, ECPAT cannot emphasise enough how important it is to join efforts and take advantage of multi-sector cooperation to fight this deplorable trend. This report is an open invitation to work with ECPAT and its partners and join the fight against sexual exploitation of children in travel and tourism, because, together, we can eliminate this crime and make childhood safe again. Dr. Maria Eugenia Villarreal Ms. Milena Grillo ECPAT Regional Representative High-level Taskforce to End for Latin America Sexual Exploitation of Children ECPAT International Board of Trustees in Travel and Tourism LATIN AMERICA 7 ACRONYMS ABTH Associação Brasileira Terra dos CCN Código de Conducta Nacional para Homens (Terre des Hommes Brazil) la Protección de las Niñas, Niños y ACOT Asociación Costarricense de Adolescentes en el Sector de los Viajes Operadores de Turismo (Costa Rican y el Turismo (Code of Conduct for the Association of Tourism Operators) Protection of Children from Sexual Exploitation in Travel and Tourism) AHI La Cadena Hotelera Atlantica Hotels International CEDECA-BA Centro de Defesa da Criança e do Adolescente Yves de Roussan ANA Aliança Nacional dos Adolescentes (Yves Roussan Centre for the Defense (National Alliance of Adolescents – of Children and Adolescents) Brazil) Asociación Panameña de Hoteles (Panamanian Hotel Association) CENFOTUR Centro de Formación en Turismo APATEL Asociación de Administradores de CHS Alternativo Capital Humano y Social Alternativo Juegos de Azar de Panamá CONAPREDES Comisión Nacional para la Prevención (Association of Administrators of de los Delitos de Explotación Sexual Games of Chance – Panamá) (National Commission for the ASAJA Asociación de Hoteles y Turismo de Prevention of Crimes of Sexual la República Dominicana, Inc Exploitation) (Dominican Republic National CONACOES Comisión Nacional contra Association of Hotels and Restaurants) la Explotación Sexual Comercial ASONAHORES Asociación de Servidores Turísticos (National Commission Against the (ASOTPRESCNNA) Formales e Informales para Commercial Sexual Exploitation of la Prevención de la Explotación de Children Costa Rica) Niñas, Niños y Adolescentes CONAPEES Comité Nacional para la Erradicación (Association of Formal and Informal de la Explotación Sexual Comercial y Tourist Service Providers for the No Comercial de la Niñez y Prevention of Commercial Sexual la Adolescencia (National Committee Exploitation of Children – Colombia) for the Elimination of Commercial and BRL Brazilian Real Non-commercial Sexual Exploitation of Children and Adolescents Uruguay) CAATUR Comité Andino de Autoridades de Turismo (The Andean Committee of CONANI Consejo Nacional para la Niñez y Tourism Authorities) la Adolescencia (National Council for Childhood and Adolescence – CAIVAS Centro de Atención e Investigación Dominican Republic) Integral a Víctimas de Abuso Sexual de Colombia (Comprehensive Care Centre COOPERATUR Cooperativa Escuela de Jóvenes del for Victims of Sexual Violence – Sector Turístico (School of Young Colombia) Workers in the Tourism Sector Cooperative) CAMTUR Cámara Nacional de Turismo de Guatemala/Panama (Guatemalan/ CREAS Centro de Referência Especializado de Panamanian Chamber of Tourism) Assistência Social (Specialised Reference Centre for Social Assistance) CANATUR Cámara Nacional de Turismo de Costa Rica (Costa Rican National Chamber of CSEC Commercial Sexual Exploitation of Tourism) Children CASACIDN Comité Argentino de Seguimiento y DNPSD Dirección Nacional de Prevención Aplicación de la Convención Social del Delito (National Office for the Internacional sobre los Derechos Social Prevention of Crime) del Niño 8 GLOBAL STUDY ON SEXUAL EXPLOITATION OF CHILDREN IN TRAVEL AND TOURISM DINAPEN Dirección Nacional de Policía LGPSEDMTP Ley General para Prevenir, Sancionar y Especializada para Niños, Niñas y Erradicar los Delitos en Materia de Adolescentes (National Directorate of Trata de Personas y para la Protección Specialized Police for Children and y Asistencia a las Víctimas de estos Adolescents Ecuador) Delitos (General Law to Prevent,