The World Tourism Network on Child Protection (formerly the Task Force for the Protection of Children in Tourism) convened for its 27th meeting in Berlin, Germany, on March 9, 2012, in conjunction with this yearโs edition of the ITB Berlin International Tourism Fair.
The bodyโs 2012 gathering focused on a special session on young workers in the tourism sector, jointly organized by UN World Tourism Organization (UNWTO) and the International Labor Organization (ILO), more specifically, its International Program on the Elimination of Child Labor (ILO-IPEC). The meeting also featured a reporting session, affording tourism stakeholders the opportunity to report on new projects concerning child protection in tourism.
With a view towards exchanging information, experiences, and best practices on the protection of children in tourism, this open-ended meeting operates as a global platform of the sectorโs key players, drawing together governments, the tourism industry, international organizations, non-governmental organizations (NGOs), and media associations.
Originally established in 1997, the network’s mandate was broadened as of 2007 to the prevention of all potential forms of youth exploitation within the tourism sector (i.e., sexual exploitation, child labor and trafficking, etc.). Its name was officially changed from “Task Force for the Protection of Children in Tourism” to the “World Tourism Network on Child Protection” in 2011, as the term โnetworkโ was felt to better reflect the nature of the body.
The World Tourism Network on Child Protection meeting in Berlin was attended by over 70 delegates.