An international conference, 'United Front for Children: Global Efforts to Combat Sexual Trafficking of Children in Travel and Tourism' to be held on the 21st of April at the University of Minnesota will focus on ways and means to curb sex trafficking, at a global level. The event to be held at the Coffman Union Theater, 300 Washington S.E., Minneapolis, and is free and open to the public participation.
Tourism is one of the fastest growing industries in the world. A consequence of easy and cheap global travel is an increase in the reported sexual exploitation of children in tourist destinations. Conference sessions will attempt to answer questions such as: What are the forces that shape the current patterns of commercial sexual exploitation of children relating to tourism?What are the factors that lead to children being trafficked and what international and local institutions need to be engaged in prevention? And, how does child sex trafficking take place in different regions of the world and how are solutions being tailored to address regional specifications of the problem?
'This conference will help us identify ways we can work together to stop sexual exploitation of children in tourist destinations,' states Barbara Frey, director of the Human Rights Program at the University of Minnesota. 'We need to build serious roadblocks to the demand for children in the sex trade while addressing the root causes that push children into these horrific forms of exploitation.'
In addition to examining ways the travel and tourism industries can combat child sex trafficking, a major goal of the conference is to create collaborative initiatives with other sectors, including government, academia and non-profit organizations to end these violations. Frey and others are available for interviews prior to the conference.
