During May and June 2009, SOS Violences Sexuelles, the ECPAT group in Côte d'Ivoire , conducted a number of activities related to CSEC, including an awareness-raising campaign on managing the consequences of sexual violence and a training workshop. The group also participated in a roundtable discussion on female genital mutilation and another focused on eradicating violence against children, which was a prelude to the Day of the African Child held on 16 June.

From 20 to 27 May 2009, for the second consecutive year, the Association Burkinabé pour la Survie (ABSE, an ECPAT group) in Burkina Faso, organised an awareness campaign on Internet security week for children. The campaign was entitled ‘Stop commercial sexual exploitation of children through the net!’ and its objectives were to educate students about the commercial sexual exploitation of children through ICTs, inform Internet café owners about mechanisms to protect children users of the Internet and to share best practices for a more effective fight against the elimination of CSEC.

With the coordination of Rede da Criança, the ECPAT group in Mozambique, the first alternative report to the Committee on the Rights of the Child has been submitted in April 2009. This follows the government of Mozambique’s submission of its second periodic report in late 2008. The alternative report highlights progress made on the implementation of the Convention on the Rights of the Child during 2002-2006. Rede da Criança was assisted in the process by children and national and international NGO’s working on children’s issues in Mozambique. The report emphasises progress on general measures of the implementation of child rights and concludes that in general, the government of Mozambique has included the principles of the CRC in their internal legislation. The report highlights the principle of non-discrimination, the best interest of children, the right to life, survival and development and the need to consider the opinions of children. For the full report, click here. For further information, or for the report in Portuguese, contact crianca@tvcabo.co.mz

Following the participation of the Director of Medical Services of the Zambia Police in the World Congress III in Rio, Pamela Chisanga, Executive Director of Children in Need Zambia and ECPAT International Board Member for Africa, has been invited to co–chair the vice squad that was recently established to deal with commercial sexual exploitation of children. The squad is being established in the National Police Service under the Medical Services Directorate – HIV and AIDS coordination unit. CHIN has also been invited to support training for the police on how best to respond to children involved in commercial sexual exploitation as well as to support the National AIDS Council and the Zambia Police in awareness raising of the linkages between CSEC and HIV/AIDS. For more information, contact chin@zamnet.zm.

Between 11 February and 20 March, the ECPAT International Sub-Regional Coordinator in Togo conducted an awareness campaign on the links between commercial sexual exploitation of children and HIV/AIDS in West Africa. The campaigns were carried out in three towns in Togo - Lomé, the capital city, Kara and Notsè – and have reached approximately 7000 people. Seven information sessions and three radio debates were held on the issue in public places, such as markets, bars and football stadiums, with the main target audience of the campaign being children and parents. For further information, contact melanieg@ecpat.net