Global hospitality leader reinforces its commitment against the sexual exploitation of children alongside Beyond Borders ECPAT Canada by signing the Code of Conduct at Novotel Ottawa
AccorHotels North America, Central America and the Caribbean (NCAC) is reinforcing its commitment against the sexual exploitation of children by joining the efforts of ECPAT (End Child Prostitution, Child Pornography and Trafficking of Children for Sexual Purposes) in Canada as a signatory of the Tourism Code of Conduct (The Code.) With this announcement, Canada becomes the 39th country in the AccorHotels network to sign The Code, an industry-driven initiative reinforced by UNICEF and The World Tourism Organization (UNWTO).
“We are proud to reaffirm our commitment to this important cause by signing the Tourism Code of Conduct in Canada,” said Marc Sternagel, Vice President of Operations for Midscale brands for AccorHotels North America, Central America and Caribbean. The protection of children is one of our paramount priorities within our Planet 21 program, our group’s CSR platform which aims to support local communities and create a positive impact where our hotels are present. AccorHotels has led the fight against sexual exploitation of children in travel and tourism alongside ECPAT International for over 15 years, and we are pleased to state that today more than half of our hotel network is signatory of The Code.”
Marc Sternagel Vice President of Midscale Brands for AccorHotels North America, Central America and Caribbean; Mark Hecht, Senior Legal Counsel for Beyond Borders ECPAT Canada; Senator Jim Munson; Deputy Mayor of Ottawa Mark Taylor, signed The Code at Novotel Ottawa on May 18th, 2016.
Additional event images can be found in the link here: https://www.dropbox.com/sh/im3t7ttgquli5zt/AADTRCl3EdjWKwl3zIjqkPh7a?dl=0
ECPAT (End Child Prostitution Child Pornography & Trafficking of Children for Sexual Purposes) is a non-governmental organization and global network of civil society organizations dedicated to ending the commercial sexual exploitation of children.
“Alongside our international ECPAT partners, Beyond Borders ECPAT Canada is proud to join AccorHotels in signing The Code. With ECPAT International’s most recent global study suggesting an increase in the sexual exploitation in travel and tourism worldwide and in Canada, partnerships like this will assist in protecting children while promoting a world where no child is bought, sold, or used for sexual exploitation," said Darlene Newton, President of Beyond Borders ECPAT Canada.
The Tourism Code of Conduct was developed in 1996 in collaboration with the World Tourism Organization (UNWTO) and the tourism sector, implemented for the first time in 1998, and has been managed by the tourism industry since 2004. It assists with prevention, rehabilitation and reinsertion projects for vulnerable children and/or the victims of sexual exploitation in a number of countries. By enacting responsible policies, members of The Code play an essential role in protecting children from the sexual exploitation that is particularly prevalent in this industry.
As a signatory of the Tourism Code of Conduct, AccorHotels undertakes to implement the following six criteria across its Canadian properties:
- Establishing ethical policies and procedures against sexual exploitation of children
- Training employees in children’s rights, the prevention of sexual exploitation, and how to report suspected cases
- Including a clause in contracts throughout the value chain stating a common repudiation and zero tolerance policy of sexual exploitation of children
- Providing information to travelers on children’s rights, the prevention of sexual exploitation of children and how to report suspected cases
- Supporting, collaborating and engaging stakeholders in the prevention of sexual exploitation of children
- Reporting annually on their implementation of Code-related activities
Since 2001, AccorHotels has been fighting against sexual exploitation of children by informing and training employees, raising awareness among customers and suppliers, developing relations with public authorities, and facilitating the integration of minors. As of today, 39 countries where the Group is implemented have signed the Code of Conduct with over 70,000 employees trained in partnership with ECPAT on how to detect and respond to situations of child abuse.
To learn more about AccorHotels Group corporate social responsibility commitments, please visit http://www.accorhotels-group.com/en/sustainable-development.html.
For more information about ECPAT International’s 2016 Global Study on the sexual exploitation of children in travel and tourism, please visit http://globalstudysectt.org/.