WE LOVE ECPAT Luxembourg

Did you know that ECPAT Luxembourg was the first organisation to

• Publish a report monitoring the Luxembourg government’s progress against its commitments made at the first World Congress against the Commercial Sexual Exploitation of Children held in Stockholm in 1996
• Draft an NGO report on the implementation of the Optional Protocol to the Convention on the Rights of the Child on the sale of children, child prostitution and child pornography and present it to the UN Committee for the Rights of the Child at Geneva.
• Run campaigns on CSEC in Luxembourg
• Develop and run training on SECTT for the travel and tourism industry in Luxembourg
• Carry out a survey on the public perception of CSEC in Luxembourg
• Develop a national and European website enabling the public to report cases of child sexual exploitation : www.reportchildsextourism.eu and www.childprotection.lu (in collaboration with the public prosecutor’s office and the police)
• Organise a national conference on the sexual exploitation of children online (in collaboration with Interpol, Luxembourg police, BEE SECURE…)
• Display an educational exhibition on CSEC in Luxembourg

Thomas, Executive Director :

The commercial sexual exploitation of children is constantly evolving and unfortunately appears to be on the increase. I have observed various new trends since I joined ECPAT Luxembourg in 2009, for example, new countries are becoming affected and new information and communication technologies create opportunities for new forms of exploitation.

However, I also strongly believe that the situation can be changed for the better, particularly when I see the dedication, commitment and professionalism of the people involved in this combat. I am thinking of our team and the other members of our global network as well as our partners in the field who work with extraordinary dynamism and energy. These are the people that can make the world a better place, free from the sexual exploitation of children.

But we can only change the world for the better if we remain strong and grounded within a changing environment. The way the NGO sector operates is also changing : it has become more professional, fixes its objectives more clearly and adopts results-based strategies. Moreover, it has also become more accountable towards their donors and the general public, but resources have also become more scarce. These are the challenges we have to face and overcome in order to pursue our mission.

In addition to its ongoing projects, ECPAT Luxembourg has developed an ambitious three-year strategy which will be launched at the beginning of 2017. In future, more children will be protected from sexual exploitation thanks to ECPAT Luxembourg and its partners as well as the valuable support of the Luxembourg public.

Hannah, Project Manager – West Africa :

Working for ECPAT Luxembourg has provided me with a unique opportunity to contribute to an important cause and to develop on both a professional and personal level. My role has varied and evolved over the last 8 years which has allowed me to deepen my understanding of child sexual exploitation as well as to develop a certain expertise.

One of the most critical elements in preventing the sexual exploitation of children is informing public opinion and raising the awareness of stakeholders that are in a position to play a key role in combating this crime. When I joined in 2007, ECPAT Luxembourg had only carried out one campaign to raise public awareness on the issue in Luxembourg. As such, one of my primary responsibilities was to develop and implement new projects aiming to raise public awareness in Luxembourg on child sexual exploitation. This included organising events such as press conferences, seminars and films ; coordinating awareness-raising campaigns ; and developing and facilitating training for travel and tourism companies. I am proud that, as a result of these actions, the Luxembourg public has gained a better understanding of child sexual exploitation : the factors which contribute to its propagation, the consequences for the victims as well as the measures that are possible or already in place to pursue the perpetrators. Furthermore, as a result of the aforementioned projects, ECPAT Luxembourg has succeeded in developing partnerships with stakeholders in Luxembourg who are essential to combating this crime, such as child protection organisations, the police, the Public Prosecutor’s Office and key government ministries.

I am now responsible for ECPAT Luxembourg’s projects in West Africa. This requires working closely with our field office in Bamako as well as local partners to develop projects aiming to strengthen children’s protection against sexual exploitation and to provide support to victims. Raising public awareness is also an important part of many of our projects in West Africa and South Asia and remains essential to stamping out the sexual exploitation of children worldwide.

Christophe, Fundraiser & Communications Manager :

I am definitely not a selfish person – I like to share my energy, my time, my values and my conviction with everyone around me in order to encourage working together to improve the world we live in. I mean, look around you ! There are so many opportunities to get involved in making the world a better place – for all of us but especially for children.

I have decided to join ECPAT Luxembourg because their message is crystal clear : advocate for a socio-political environment that protects children against sexual exploitation, both in Luxembourg as well as elsewhere. Exploitation manifests itself in the same way throughout the world : the more powerful (physically or financially) will dominate and exploit the weakest. This imbalance of power leaves scars and prevents both individuals and societies from fulfilling their true potential. This has to be changed and we have the power to bring about change.

Concretely my work consists in raising ECPAT Luxembourg’s public profile and visibility as well as improving its communication tools. Social media is a great tool for informing people about our work and raising awareness of the issue. But personal contact is just as important, to meet people and convince them that they can help us. For example, you can become a donor or use a personal/family event to inform your relatives and friends about what is important in life for you. The business world can also support us by sponsoring events, relaying our campaigns or by signing project oriented partnerships.

Fabienne, Advocacy and Awareness Raising Manager :

My work for ECPAT consists in raising public awareness on the sexual exploitation of children. The project I am currently working on aims to raise awareness in Luxembourg in order to protect children in developing countries. My responsibilities include working with young people in partnership with a peer training organisation, informing them on the issue and involving them in the development of actions to raise public awareness in Luxembourg. The travel and tourism industry is also a key partner in protecting children against sexual exploitation in travel and tourism and so I will also be responsible for developing and organising training for companies such as Accor and Luxair in order to provide their staff with guidelines on how to react and report suspected cases. Furthermore, I am responsible for advocating these topics at the governmental level and for making recommendations to the respective stakeholders.

I joined ECPAT on October 1st, so I am still in the process of learning and I am excited to do so. I joined ECPAT because I want to work for a cause I believe in and I want my work to have an impact on improving the lives of deprived children. With the increase in trafficking of children due to higher rates of migration and rising numbers of children in vulnerable situations, it is crucial to protect them from exploitation. Prevention is key to addressing the root of the problem and it is, therefore, important to inform public opinion. 

So, let’s stay connected ! Follow us on social media on www.facebook.com/ecpatlux/ or/and www.linkedin.com/company/ecpat-luxembourg. If you have ideas on how to support us please contact c.wantz@ecpat.lu and together we will see what is possible. The circulation of our monthly electronic newsletter will start shortly. Each edition will be dedicated to a particular issue.

Communiqué par ECPAT Luxembourg