In Gran
Canaria,
Carmen Riu, CEO of RIU Hotels & Resorts, along with María
Martínez Hernández from FAPMI-ECPAT Spain, signed the Code of
Conduct against the commercial sexual exploitation of
minors.
With
this signature the hotel chain commits to fight against the
sexual exploitation of boys, girls and teenagers in tourism
through various actions, with the support and collaboration of
FAPMI-ECPAT Spain, the body which is responsible for managing the
Code in this country. The signing took place in the ExpoMeloneras
Conference Centre in Maspalomas. This year, this tourist destination
is celebrating its 50th Anniversary, and will be involved in the
celebration of the 2012 World Tourism Day tomorrow.
María
Martínez Hernández, FAPMI-ECPAT, has been responsible for welcoming
the signing ceremony, which was witnessed by Consuelo Crespo,
president of UNICEF in Spain; Marco Aurelio Pérez, Mayor of San
Bartolomé de Tirajana; Ricardo Fernández of Puente Armas,
Deputy Councillor of Tourism in the Canarian Government; Yolanda
Perdomo, director of the Secretariat of Affiliated Members of the
OMT; María Jesús Conde, representative of UNICEF in the
Dominican Republic; and Nereida Castro, president of
the Canarian UNICEF Committee.
As
a result of the adherence of RIU to the Code of Conduct, a debate has
been initiated on Tourism and Social Responsibility, “Fighting
together against the sexual exploitation of minors in the
tourism sector”, overseen by Consuelo Crespo, president of UNICEF
Spain. Businesses in the sector and institutions have demonstrated
their experience in the defence of the Children’s Rights, and in
particular in the struggle against the sexual exploitation of
minors.
The
Sexual Exploitation of Boys, Girls and Teenagers in tourism
is a growing problem which requires the intervention of all parties
involved. Every year, more than 1.8 million minors worldwide find
themselves forced to enter into commercial sexual exploitation.
Tourism, given that it is the main industry worldwide, exerts
economic, cultural, environmental and socio-political effects in the
areas it operates, having a direct impact on the lives of boys, girls
and teenagers in these communities.
The
public authorities and the private sector have a legal and moral
obligation to ensure that the protection of boys, girls and teenagers
is incorporated into the agenda for development in tourism. The Code
of Conduct for the protection of boys, girls and teenagers against
commercial sexual exploitation is an international tool
driven by the tourism industry concerned, in collaboration with ECPAT
International, financed by UNICEF and with the support of the World
Tourism Organisation. It acts as an instrument of self-regulation and
Corporate Social Responsibility to provide additional protection to
boys, girls and adolescents against commercial sexual exploitation in
the tourism sector.
RIU
Hotels & Resorts, in adhering to this initiative, promises to
apply the following six criteria:
•
To
establish a corporate ethical policy against the commercial
sexual exploitation of minors.
•
To
train staff in all the countries where they operate.
•
To
introduce a clause in contracts with providers to establish common
rejection of the commercial sexualexploitation of minors.
•
To
supply information to customers by means of informative material and
our website.
•
To
supply information to “key local agents” in each destination.
•
To
report annually on the implementation of these points.
RIU
Hotels, by committing to these criteria, works in an active way in
the fight against sexual tourism involving boys, girls and teenagers
in the international hotel industry, by strengthening the networks
and mechanisms to combat this problem.