Sexual Expolitation of Children in Travel and Tourism
Eyes Wide Shut?
PROGRAMME
09:00 Registration & Welcome Coffee
09:30 Keynote, Jules Maaten, Regional Director, European Dialogue, Friedrich Naumann Foundation for Freedom
10:00 Panel discussion: Harmonizing Justice & Overcoming Legal Gaps
11:00 Coffee Break
11:15 Uncovering the Unseen: Conversation with Wolfgang Luck on Advocacy & Prevention
12:15 Lunch and Networking
13:30 End of the Event
ABOUT THE EVENT
This conference builds on a survey commissioned by the Friedrich Naumann Foundation, which highlights the varied responses among European citizens to the issue of Sexual Exploitation of Children in Travel and Tourism (SECTT). SECTT refers to the sexual exploitation of children by individuals who travel, domestically or internationally, to destinations where they can access children. This exploitation often involves the use of accommodation, transportation, and other tourism-related services, which facilitate contact with children and enable perpetrators to remain inconspicuous in the surrounding population and environment. Some SECTT victims are coerced into sex work; others are exploited through circumstance or trafficked for sexual exploitation.
Offenders come from various socio-economic backgrounds and often target regions with limited enforcement, corruption, poverty, and weak protections, particularly in Southeast Asia. Due to the hidden and taboo nature of SECTT, precise figures are difficult to determine, but it is estimated that millions of children worldwide are affected. Despite efforts to combat SECTT, studies indicate a global increase in child sexual exploitation within the tourism sector.
The event aims to explore practical solutions for strengthening legislation and raising public awareness to combat this form of exploitation. Discussions will focus on the legal gaps that perpetrators exploit, especially concerning SECTT, and how European laws can be better coordinated to address these challenges. Additionally, the event will cover strategies for improving public awareness, emphasizing the importance of educating the public to prevent child exploitation.
CONTACT
If you have any questions, please do not hesitate to reach out to the organisers:
Katharina Osthoff at katharina.osthoff@freiheit.org
Jana Moritz at jana.moritz@freiheit.org
REGISTER NOW
Kindly register for this event at https://forms.gle/RrymjhDPtoXBLWs56*
* Photographs will be taken at the event for use on FNF website, social media, in the press, marketing materials, and other publications. By entering this event, you consent to the filming, photographing and using your image and likeness.