Policies to combat child sex tourism adopted by WTO

Accra, Oct 13, GNA- The World Tourism Organization (WTO) has adopted a draft declaration for governments and Non Governmental Organizations (NGO's) to work in partnership to combat child sex in Africa.

The draft declaration was adopted at a recent conference organised by the WTO in Dakar-Senegal, attended by 15 countries, including Ghana. The Conference also analysed the increasing phenomenon of Sexual Exploitation of Children in Tourism (SECT) within Africa.

A statement issued by the Ministry of Tourism and Modernisation of the Capital City on Monday, and signed by Ms Victoria Antwi-Sarpong, Public Relations Officer said, the decision was taken as part of efforts by the participants to combat the high incidence of sexual exploitation of children in tourism.

The draft declaration included resolutions on proper identification and documentation of the problems, the forging of partnership, between the private sector and the law enforcement agencies and the creation of awareness programmes to combat the crime.

It said, the conference developed strategies for better and more efficient interventions and interactions at the local, national, and regional levels and a code of ethics for member countries.

The code of ethics and training manual, the statement said, urged partners to train personnel in the country of origin and destinations, provide information to travellers by means of brochures, ticket-slips, in-flight films, and information to local key persons at destinations. It said the SECT code also urged partners to introduce a clause in contracts with suppliers stating the repudiation of SECT and report annually to the organization.

The statement said Mr Ousmane Massele Ndiaye, Senegalese Minister of Tourism, condemned child sex tourism, pointing out that sexual tourism should not be entertained regardless of the important role tourism played in the development of Africa's economies.

Mr David de Villers, Deputy Secretary General of the WTO said the development tourism, should fall in line with the moral framework and that tourism should serve humanity and provide more material benefit. The statement said over one million victims were recorded annually world wide of which most of the sex tourism crime was committed with the involvement of nationals who served as tour guides to the tourist.