Beyond Borders and the Air Canada Foundation Renew their Partnership to Raise Awareness about Child Sex Tourism and Trafficking

Logo: Air Canada Foundation & Beyond Borders ECPAT Canada (CNW Group/ECPAT Canada)

Experts coming to Winnipeg to discuss Child Sex Tourism and Trafficking – how to detect it and how to report it.

WINNIPEG, Feb. 28, 2018 /CNW Telbec/ - Child sexual exploitation through tourism and trafficking is an ongoing problem internationally, and it is also prevalent within Canada. The 2018 Conference: "Child Sex Tourism and Trafficking – tackling the problem within our borders and beyond" -  presented by Air Canada Foundation, will focus on understanding sex tourism and trafficking; how to recognize when it is occurring, and where to report suspicious behavior or financial transactions. The sessions are for those who work within the travel and tourism sector and the financial sector, as well as those working to end child sexual exploitation. The conference takes place on March 1, 2018 at Canad Inns Club Regent, 8:30 am to 3:30 pm. The speakers will be available for interviews leading up to the event and in person immediately after the morning session. 

Timea Nagy - keynote speaker Timea Nagy is a trafficking survivor, author, speaker and social advocate whose organization helped over 300 victims and over 500 human trafficking investigations throughout Canada. Ms. Nagy is the first Survivor of Human Trafficking to train banks and financial institutions on HT detection through transactions and has provided training to over 1500 institutions in Canada and the US.

Sébastien Pfeiffer, Marjorie Pittet, ACCOR Hotels - through its WATCH (We Act Together For Children) Programme, ACCOR hotels provides all its hotels with training and tools to keep employees alert at all times, help them to respond to dubious situations, and raise guest awareness to protect children from sexual exploitation. 

"The annual conference is part of Beyond Borders ECPAT Canada's ongoing commitment to advocate for corporate social responsibility around the issue of child sexual exploitation. We are pleased to partner with Platinum Presenting Sponsor Air Canada Foundation to raise awareness about this vital issue," said Michelle Kowalchuk, Conference Chair.

"Child sex tourism and trafficking are despicable crimes that must be denounced by all and greater efforts must be made to prevent their occurrence. The Air Canada Foundation is proud to, once again this year, partner with Beyond Borders ECPAT Canada in this conference to protect all children from exploitation wherever they are in the world," said Priscille LeBlanc, Chair of the Air Canada Foundation.

Beyond Borders ECPAT Canada also thanks WestJet, Air Transat, all sponsors and donors, and the Winnipeg Foundation for their support. 

About Beyond Borders ECPAT Canada
Beyond Borders ECPAT Canada is a bilingual national advocacy organization advancing the rights of children everywhere to be free from sexual abuse and exploitation. We are a registered charity without political or religious affiliation. Beyond Borders ECPAT Canada is the Canadian representative of ECPAT International, a global network in more than 90 countries dedicated to ending child prostitution, child sexual imagery and SECTT - the sexual exploitation of children in travel and tourism.
www.beyondborders.org   

About the Air Canada Foundation
The Air Canada Foundation, a not-for-profit organization focused on the health and well-being of children and youth, was launched in 2012. It offers financial and in-kind support, through travel assistance, to Canadian registered charities. Core programs include the Air Canada Foundation Hospital Transportation Program, which donates Aeroplan Miles to pediatric hospitals across Canada, enabling children to access medical care unavailable locally, and the Volunteer Involvement Program, which recognizes the involvement of Air Canada employees in their local communities by providing airline tickets to registered charities in support of their fundraising activities. The Foundation also offers continued support to major health-related causes that benefit Canadians and actively participates in international humanitarian relief activity as the need arises. In collaboration with the airline, the Air Canada Foundation also participates directly in fundraising activities such as the Every Bit Counts program, which encourages customers to donate loose change on board flights or through Air Canada Maple Leaf Lounges collection containers. For more information about the Air Canada Foundation, please visit www.aircanada.com/foundation or the 2016 Corporate Sustainability Report: Citizens of the World, online at www.aircanada.com/Foundation/Citizensoftheworld.

Fact Sheet

Air Canada is committed to fighting sex tourism and human trafficking and has taken concrete action since 2006
Air Canada is the first Canadian airline and second North American airline to run in-flight messages aimed at raising awareness among its passengers.

Air Canada is committed to respecting human rights and condemns all forms of child exploitation. The company never uses child labour and supports its elimination, as well as legislation aimed at preventing and punishing the crime of child sexual exploitation. Air Canada is committed to educating its employees and suppliers about these forms of exploitation.

As one of the leading commercial airlines in the world, Air Canada always adheres to the highest professional standards and complies with all laws, regulations and standards applicable to its industry. Corporate social responsibility is an integral part of its culture and is about making a lasting and positive impact on the communities in which Air Canada operates. Air Canada expects the same from its suppliers and business partners.

Air Canada's professional practices respect and uphold human rights for its employees, suppliers and business partners. Through its Foundation, Air Canada also supports registered charities whose mission is to end child sexual exploitation and defend children's rights.

Since 2006, Air Canada has taken the following steps to identify and mitigate the risks of modern slavery and human trafficking within its business and its supply chain:

• Once again this year, the Air Canada Foundation is the lead partner for the 2018 Conference & Media Awards. The event is held by Beyond Borders ECPAT Canada, an organization that advances the rights of children everywhere to be free from sexual abuse and exploitation. Through its partnership, the Air Canada Foundation donated $5,000 and airline tickets.
  
• In 2017, the Air Canada Foundation donated $25,000 to the Missing Children's Network to implement SHINE, a program for preventing sexual exploitation and trafficking of Quebec youth. The purpose of the program is to educate about 40,000 youth about sexual exploitation problems, the dangers that runaways face and how to protect themselves and find help.
  
• In February 2014, as part of an outreach campaign, Air Canada played three new powerful public service videos on its in-flight entertainment system to denounce child sexual exploitation and child sex tourism.
  
• In 2010 and 2011, with the International Bureau for Children's Rights, Air Canada held conferences on human trafficking and child sex tourism, in Toronto and Vancouver. The company hosted the Toronto conference.
  
• The Air Canada Foundation provides financial assistance or airline tickets to organizations such as Beyond Borders ECPAT Canada and OneChild in their mission to end child sexual exploitation and defend children's rights.
  
• Air Canada conducts audits of certain suppliers, which will include asking for information on their compliance with its Supplier Code of Conduct, their policies on fair sourcing of goods and services, and their recruitment and employment practices.
  
• The company is monitoring its existing suppliers more closely using up-to-date tools to identify any issues that may pose legal or reputational risks for Air Canada.
  
• Air Canada has begun to assess risks related to human trafficking and forced labour associated with its operations and supply chain in relation to new routes and at new destinations.
  
• Air Canada has a Supplier Code of Conduct that suppliers have to adhere to. This code of conduct forms an integral part of the contracts the company signs. It sets out the standards Air Canada requires its suppliers to uphold at all times relating to various matters including human trafficking, slavery, child labour, non-discrimination and human rights, employment conditions, ethical behaviour and much more, including the right to audit.
  
• All Air Canada flight attendants receive training on modern slavery and human trafficking, including child sexual exploitation, which raises their awareness and gives them the tools they need to better recognize and report such situations when they witness them. 
  
• Since 2006, Air Canada has offered a child sex tourism awareness video on all its flights.
  

February 2018

SOURCE ECPAT Canada

and to book an interview, contact: Linda Nelson, Communications Manager, Beyond Borders ECPAT Canada, 204 227 1288, [email protected]; Isabelle Arthur (Montreal), Manager, Media Relations & Manager, Air Canada Foundation, 514 422-5788, [email protected]; Peter Fitzpatrick (Toronto), Manager, Media Relations - Air Canada, 416 263-5576, [email protected]; Angela Mah (Vancouver), Manager Media Relations - Air Canada, 604 270-5741, [email protected]

Related Links

www.aircanada.com