ECPAT member group Maiti Nepal is leading the process to draft the Alternative Report on the Optional Protocol on the Sale of Children, Child Prostitution and Child Pornography in collaboration with nearly 30 other child rights NGOs under the “Human Rights Treaty Monitory Committee.” The civil society members met in July and are planning successive meetings in August and coming months to systematically plan their inputs into the report. Similarly, wider participation of young people, particularly those who have been affected by commercial sexual exploitation and trafficking and those who are at greater risk is being facilitated by ECPAT member organizations Maiti Nepal and CWIN. The groups are expecting to submit their alternative report and hope meet the CRC Committee members in February 2010 to discuss their reports.

Between 25-28 May, Kuoni Groups in India and the ECPAT member group Equations, facilitated workshops concerning child protection for partners of the Kuoni Group from Goa and Cochin (Kerala). The aim of the workshops was to raise awareness and exchange knowledge amongst partners on the fight against the sexual abuse of children in tourism. Kuoni planned three workshops - two in Goa and one in Kerala. In Goa, the workshops were facilitated by EQUATIONS and Child Rights Goa. Ms. Sabine Ehrler, Project Officer Corporate Responsibility, will be representing Kuoni at the workshop in Cochin. This is an excellent example of public –private partnership and also of corporate social responsibility in fighting Child Sex Tourism in the region.

Following the recent ECPAT International Board Meeting, recently held in Bangkok from 25 to 29 May, four new groups have been affiliated to the ECPAT network: STOP in India: STOP is well known in India for its rescue operations of trafficked victims. The Government has mandated STOP to be informed of any rescue operations around the New Delhi area and works closely with the police to rescue victims of trafficking from the red light districts of New Delhi. STOP has a good record of prosecuting trafficking cases among NGOs working against trafficking and CSEC and it has established links with the Central and State Governments in India, serving on their Advisory Committees against Trafficking. STOP is also one of only two NGOs that are represented in the SAARC’s Regional Task Force on Trafficking.

On 17-18 April, the India Alliance for Child Rights and Joint Women’s Programme organised a meeting entitled ‘Measuring Progress for Children in India: Child Rights Review and reporting Optional Protocols to the UN CRC’ in Delhi. The main agenda for the meeting was to discuss the ‘First India Alternate Report on the Optional Protocols to the UN Convention on the Rights of the Child’. The meeting served as a platform to discuss and highlight the issues, information gaps and main challenges on the Optional Protocol on Involvement of Children in Armed Conflict and Option Protocol on the Sale of Children, Child Prostitution and Child Pornography. Also in attendance at the meeting and adding to the discussion was the ECPAT group, EQUATIONS.

Recently in April, CWIN completed a nationwide campaign that reached thousands of children throughout Nepal. The campaign aimed to collect the views and suggestions of youth for incorporation in the country’s new constitution. As part of the campaign, CWIN decorated two buses with child right’s messages, held a nationwide essay writing competition and a street performance team connected with many districts through drama. On 5 May, a Grand National Programme to exhibit and hand over the report to the head of a constitution drafting committee was held.