ECPAT UK - Protecting Children Everywhere

	5 March 2010			Join hands to combat child trafficking this Mother’s Day

	25 February 2009			ECPAT UK supports parliamentary efforts to combat human trafficking

	20 November 2009			ECPAT UK marks 20 year anniversary of UN Convention on the Rights of the Child in joint conference with Metropolitan Police and Three Raymond Buildings

ECPAT UK supports parliamentary efforts to combat human trafficking
25 February 2010

This week has seen significant activity taking place in Westminster to draw attention to the issue of human trafficking. A major exhibition on human trafficking was staged in Parliament by Anthony Steen MP, Chair of the All Party Parliamentary Group on the trafficking of women and children. The exhibition depicted the reality of modern slavery in the UK and included a reproduction of a typical kitchen and a bedroom where trafficked victims face domestic slavery and sexual exploitation. The exhibition also included a film explaining how child trafficking takes place in the UK and tells the stories of children who have been trafficked for sexual exploitation, forced labour and forced criminal activities.

Christine Beddoe, Director of ECPAT UK, who acts as an advisor to the All Party Parliamentary Group on Trafficking said, “ECPAT UK was delighted to be involved with the exhibition which created an excellent opportunity for MPs and members of the House of Lords to learn more about human trafficking in the UK and to discuss how Parliament, working together with the police and NGOs, can combat this dreadful trade.”

Anthony Steen MP organised the exhibition in partnership with a number of anti-trafficking groups including ECPAT UK, Kalayaan, the Poppy Project and Anti-Slavery International as well as the Metropolitan Police. The Home Secretary, the Rt Hon Alan Johnson MP and the Shadow Foreign Secretary Rt Hon William Hague MP opened the exhibition on 22nd February. Both speakers paid tribute to the work Anthony Steen MP has undertaken to raise awareness of human trafficking amongst parliamentarians and in holding the government to account in its efforts to tackle human trafficking. MPs and members of the House of Lords took the opportunity to visit the exhibition, including Conservative leader, the Rt Hon David Cameron MP (pictured here with ECPAT UK Director Christine Beddoe and Anthony Steen MP).

The exhibition coincided with a conference for parliamentarians from across Europe who were meeting to discuss national and international efforts being undertaken to combat human trafficking. The Inter-Parliamentary Union which brings together parliamentarians from across the world invited over 50 MPs from 18 European countries to this regional conference held in Westminster. ECPAT UK has been working with MPs and members of the House of Lords from the All Party Parliamentary Group Trafficking to support many of these MPs from countries including Bulgaria, Romania, Spain, and Poland to set up parliamentary groups in their own countries to increase and coordinate their parliamentary activity against trafficking.

ECPAT UK Director Christine Beddoe explained, “Without concerted action by governments in source, transit and destination countries the crime of human trafficking will never be addressed. We are really pleased to see that there are committed parliamentarians from across Europe willing to work together to combat trafficking.”

ENDS

PRESS CONTACT
Christine Beddoe
Director, ECPAT UK
Tel: 020 7233 9887 or 07906 341 889

Notes to the editor

ECPAT UK (End Child Prostitution, Child Pornography and Trafficking of Children for Sexual Purposes) is a leading UK children’s rights organisation. ECPAT UK works with the highest levels of government but also reaches out to practitioners and those working directly with children through research, training and capacity building.