Ghana adopts resolution to stop sexual exploitation of children

Accra, Oct. 21, GNA - Fifteen countries, including Ghana, have adopted a draft resolution aimed at urging governments, the private sector, international and non-governmental organisations to work in partnership to combat sexual exploitation of children in the tourism industry.

A statement the Ministry of Tourism and Modernisation of the Capital City issued on Tuesday in Accra said the action was taken at a recent conference organised by the World Tourism Organization in Dakar, Senegal to analyse the phenomenon of Sexual Exploitation of Children in Tourism (SECT) in the West Africa Sub-Region.

The objective of the draft is to develop strategies for better and more efficient interventions and interactions at the local, national and regional levels.

Mr Ousmane Massele Ndiane, Senegalese Minister of Tourism, condemned child sex tourism and said; sexual abuse of children should not be entertained regardless of the important role tourism played in the development of African economies.

"We should not sacrifice our children in the name of tourism development", he said.

Mr David de Villers, Deputy Secretary-General of World Tourism Organization (WTO), said development of Tourism should fall in line with the moral framework and that tourism should serve humanity and provide more benefits that were material.

The WTO has, therefore developed, a code of ethics and training manual for the education of all people connected with SECT. According to the WTO one million child sex crimes were recorded annually worldwide.