Advocacy & monitoring

Advocacy

“ECPAT works for a world that no longer tolerates the sexual exploitation of children.”

What is an Advocate?

“One who pleads the cause of any one in a Court of Justice” = Justice.
“One who pleads, intercedes or speaks for another” = Champion.
“One who argues on behalf of a proposal for another” = Promote Change.

The Shorter Oxford English Dictionary

The three strands

Justice – access to justice, enforcement, penalties, reporting, accountability, prevention.
Champion – monitor, educate, support, protect, highlight deficiencies, provide a voice, raise awareness, promote understanding.
Promote Change – put forward proposals, improve existing systems, focus, resources.

These three strands intermingle to some extent creating a dynamic environment for advocacy.

Justice

Courts - register of prosecutions, monitor sentencing, mark trends, profile offenders.
Police - resourcing of child abuse teams, building specialist knowledge, enforcement of extra-territorial laws, effectiveness of underage prostitution laws.
Internal Affairs –tracing offenders, align with Customs to inhibit travel of convicted sex offenders, develop “hotline” for reporting suspects.

Champion

Education - Provide guidelines to schools, churches, clubs.
Pacific - Provide support and resources, take part in comparative analysis of culture v. human rights, monitor.
Tourism project – raise awareness.
Internet Service Providers – explain difficulties, seek co-operation, work with Internal Affairs.
Government – prepare briefing papers, develop policy, lobby for legislative changes
Media – raise profile, tourism campaign.

Promote Change

Courts – promote sex offenders register, compile register of prosecutions, promote detention of second offenders pending trial.
Internal Affairs –establish system of searching internet for offenders/suspects on-line behaviour.
Police – advocate for increased resources dedicated to child protection.
Attitudes – develop culture that child sexual exploitation is unacceptable
Internet Service Providers – discuss forms of control and accountability, complete comparative study of effectiveness of control overseas.
Customs – restrict travel of sex offenders, provide information of penalties for sex offences outside New Zealand.
Media – Public awareness of issues related to sexual exploitation of children, working to change attitudes of offenders and potential offenders.

Summary

Justice – monitor the existing systems to ensure they are performing, demand accountability.
Champion – raise awareness, report on existing services and highlight problems, challenge attitudes, educate Governments.
Promote Change – encourage partnership with enforcement agencies to prevent sexual exploitation of childrens, challenge systemic values/culture, change systems.

Monitoring

ECPAT NZ is involved in monitoring issues related to the sexual exploitation of children. This monitoring happens in various ways including tracking offences, networking with other agencies, observing trends and being informed from national and international sources.

Within New Zealand a major monitoring exercise is related to a joint agency approach initiated by the Government.

In 2001 the New Zealand Government released a document titled “Protecting Our Innocence” – New Zealand’s National Plan of Action Against the Commercial Exploitation of Children.

The document was presented by the leader of the New Zealand Government delegation at the Second World Congress Against Commercial Sexual Exploitation of Children (CSEC) held at Yokohama, Japan, December 2001.

The Plan of Action not only outlined measures being taken at that point of time but also detailed further measures that needed to be actioned.

Thirteen objectives were identified and responsibilities assigned for ensuring progress on each

To identify ongoing causes of vulnerability and patterns of exploitation among young people experiencing commercial sexual exploitation (CSE) and gaps in existing legislation, policies and services that protect children.
To ensure public, political, community and official awareness of child abuse and CSEC.
To ensure that there are comprehensive laws that cover all aspects of CSEC.
To ensure international co-operation and co-ordination in prosecution of offenders and protection of children.
Enforcement of laws to protect children from CSE.
To ensure children are not victimized by the legal system.
To reduce factors that make children vulnerable to CSE.
To ensure that children are educated to protect themselves from being sexually exploited.
To prevent computer literate children from being sexually exploited.
To provide health care and sex education for young people.
To provide services to rescue and protect children from CSE.
To enable children who have experienced CSE to recover and reintegrate.
To encourage child participation and increase community based child advocacy skills.

Each of the objectives has key stakeholders committed to progressing the issues. To encourage constant progress ECPAT NZ is involved with the New Zealand Government in monitoring the progress and identifying what has been achieved and what remains to done in the protecting of our children from sexual exploitation.