ECPAT’s Chair, Carol Bellamy to chair the UNWTO World Tourism Network on Child Protection
It was announced that Carol Bellamy, Chair of the ECPAT International Board of Trustees is the new chair of the UNWTO World Tourism Network on Child Protection. Ms. Bellamy will officially begin her tenure at the 30th meeting of the Network, which coincides with ITB Berlin in March 2015.
UNWTO has been working for more than 15 years to end the exploitation of children in tourism. Its mission is to prevent all forms of child and youth exploitation in the tourism sector, including sexual exploitation, child labour and child trafficking. The World Tourism Network on Child Protection operates as a global platform of the sector’s key-players, drawing together governments, the tourism industry, international organisations, NGOs and media associations to exchange information, experiences and best practices on the protection of children in tourism. ECPAT International has been a member since it was established in 1997 and is now a permanent member of the Network.
Ms. Bellamy brings extensive experience to the position, in addition to her work with ECPAT, she is currently the Chair of the Board of Directors of the Global Community Engagement and Resilience Fund (GCERF). Following a ten-year tenure as Executive Director of UNICEF (1995-2005), Ms. Bellamy led the non-profit, international educational organisation World Learning as CEO and President, and chaired the Board of Directors of Global Partnership for Education, supporting education for children in the world’s poorest countries.
“I am very happy to take on the important task of chairing the UNWTO World Tourism Network on Child Protection” said Ms. Bellamy in a press statement. “Preventing youth exploitation in tourism, such as child labour or trafficking, can only be done in cooperation with a broad range of stakeholders and I look forward to advancing this important platform together with its members”, she added.
Executive Director of ECPAT International, Dorothy Rozga said, “The UNWTO World Tourism Network on Child Protection will benefit from Carol Bellamy’s experience and leadership. Like the ECPAT Network, it is extremely fortunate to have someone as dedicated and experienced as she is leading our common mission of a better world for children.”
On behalf of the entire ECPAT Network, we wish to congratulate Carol Bellamy for taking on yet another important role protecting children.
