Placing Child Protection at the Core of Sustainable…

Important steps have been taken at the global, regional and national levels to tackle violence, exploitation and abuse in the context of travel and tourism. But progress has not been made at the scale or speed that is needed. We need to rethink travel and tourism to ensure that child protection is at the core of making the sector truly sustainable.

The travel and tourism sector plays a key role in supporting the livelihood and development of communities and States worldwide. The promotion of sustainable travel and tourism is an important dimension of achieving the 2030 Agenda for Sustainable Development, particularly as the sector continues to recover from the impact of the COVID 19 pandemic. 

But many child protection challenges emerge in the context of travel and tourism. Children are victims of child labour, sexual exploitation and trafficking, among other forms of violence and harm. As the ongoing increase in the number of travelers worldwide coincides with an increase in children's vulnerability to violence for diverse reasons, urgent action is needed.

High-level event hosted by the Special Representative of the Secretary-General on Violence against Children, the World Childhood Foundation and the Permanent Mission of Sweden to the United Nations. 

Keynote addresses by H.M. Queen Silvia of Sweden, H.E. Amina Mohammed, Deputy Secretary-General of the United Nations and Dr. Najat Maalla M'jid, Special Representative of the Secretary-General on Violence Against Children.