SE Asian delegates agree to step up fight against child-trafficking<\/p>\n
Agencies
\nJakarta\/Medan, North Sumatra<\/p>\n
Delegates from Southeast Asian countries in a declaration on
\nTuesday agreed to strengthen cooperation in the fight against
\nchild-trafficking for sex, an United Nation's Children's Fund
\n(Unicef) official said.<\/p>\n
\"Basically the declaration calls for strengthening regional
\ncollaboration and coordination in the fight against child-
\ntrafficking for sexual purposes,\" said Unicef's child protection
\nofficer for Indonesia, Julie Lebegue.<\/p>\n
A Unicef statement said cooperation would take the form of
\ncross-border agreements between countries.<\/p>\n
Lebegue said the delegates at the conference in the North
\nSumatra capital of Medan also called for tougher laws and
\nenforcement to make sure child-traffickers are prosecuted.<\/p>\n
The Medan declaration also provides for setting up services to
\nrehabilitate victims of child-trafficking, she said.<\/p>\n
It urges all countries to deal with the underlying demand
\nwhich causes commercial exploitation of children -- clients who
\nprovide a financial motive for the traffickers.<\/p>\n
\"The approach should be aimed at bringing about behavior
\nchange in men and adolescent males, both local and visitors, as
\nwell as to enforce existing legislation against child
\nexploiters,\" the statement said.<\/p>\n
Unicef's representative in Indonesia Steven Allen, in a
\nstatement before the conference began on Monday, said more needs
\nto be done \"to ensure that child-traffickers and exploiters are
\nsystematically pursued and charged.\"<\/p>\n
Regional surveys showed that trafficking of children was
\n\"lucrative, well organized within and across countries and linked
\nto criminal activity and corruption,\" he said.<\/p>\n
According to Unicef, about 70 thousand children -- some as
\nyoung as nine-years old -- are the victims of sexual exploitation
\nin Indonesia at present.<\/p>\n
In Asia, meanwhile, at least 400,000 children are being
\ntrafficked for sexual exploitation purposes every year.<\/p>\n
The seminar was organized by the Medan-based Center for Child
\nProtection and Study, the Office of the State Minister of Women's
\nEmpowerment and the North Sumatra provincial government and
\nsupported by Unicef, the Catholic Organization for Relief and
\nDevelopment and others.<\/p>\n
Some 300 representatives, including leading activists from
\nnon-governmental organizations from Southeast Asian countries are
\nparticipating in the seminar.<\/p>",
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"sponsor": "Okusi Associates",
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