HIS EXCELLENCY RATU EPELI NAILATIKAU
CF, KStJ, LVO, OBE (Mil), CSM, MSD
President of the Republic of Fiji
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ADDRESS AT THE OFFICIAL OPENING OF THE YOUTH AMBASSADORS TRAINING ON THE ELIMINATION OF SEXUAL EXPLOITATION AND TRAFFICKING OF CHILDREN
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Holiday Inn Thursday,21 August, 2014, 9.00a.m.
SUVA
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• His Excellency Mr Andrew Jacobs, the Head of Delegation of the European Commission to Fiji;
• Inspector Cula, Representing the Fiji Police Force’s Human Trafficking Unit;
• Ms Ela Tukutukulevu, Assistant Director, Ministry of Women, Social Welfare and Poverty Alleviation
• Mr Atish Kumar, Officer in Charge of Child Labour, Ministry of Labour Industrial Relations and Employment
• Ms Lynn Roche of the Homes of Hope
• Youth Ambassadors
• Distinguished Guests
• Ladies and Gentlemen

Good morning, ni sa bula vinaka, salaam alaykum, namaste. I am indeed honoured to join you this morning and to officially open this training workshop for youth ambassadors who will help eliminate the sexual exploitation and trafficking of children in Fiji.

Having just returned from China yesterday, I wish to share with you my experience whilst watching our youths representing our nation at the 2014 Youth Olympic Games – the highest international sporting event for young people like you.

It was a very moving and proud moment for me to see the youths of Fiji flying our flag. That moment strengthened a long-held desire to see that all the children of Fiji, irrespective of their socio-economic background, ethnicity or religious affiliation, are given the proper foundation to excel in life and be the best that they can be in any field of endeavor.

The sad reality is that some of our children will not have this opportunity because of limiting factors including in particular child trafficking and sexual exploitation.

In accepting the invitation to open this youth ambassadors training, I wish to call on the entire nation of Fiji to work together to completely eradicate child trafficking and the sexual exploitation of our children.

Our children are the most important resource for our nation. They are our future leaders. Their right to a decent living, education, and holistic development must be provided. Their welfare must be our priority. And, their safety must be our concern.

The sexual exploitation of our children and trafficking are abhorrent violations of children’s rights. Internationally, sexual violence against children is recognized as the most severe violation of their human rights and the worst form of child abuse and exploitation. It can have severe, long-term and even life-threatening effects on a child’s physical, psychological, spiritual, emotional and social development.

Moreover, the sexual exploitation and the trafficking of children for commercial purposes are heinous crimes against our nation’s children. This is the worst possible form of child exploitation and child labour.

The commercial sexual exploitation and trafficking of children constitutes a form of coercion and violence against children, and amounts to forced labour and a modern form of slavery.
The three primary forms of commercial sexual exploitation of children include child prostitution, child pornography, and trafficking of children for sexual purposes. Other forms of commercial sexual exploitation include child sex tourism and child marriage for the purposes of sexual abuse or sexual exploitation.

In our efforts to mitigate the issue, it is important to become educated to the contributing factors as to why children become victims of abuse and exploitation.

Some of the factors include but are not limited to societal changes. These have severely affected the traditional village and extended family-based structures. Effects of these changes include increased child abuse and a growing number of homeless youth in urban areas. Homeless children are often seen working on the street or involved in prostitution. Because of this, children in Fiji are particularly vulnerable to commercial sexual exploitation.

The commercial sexual exploitation of children and forced labor are the most common forms of human trafficking in Fiji.

Children in Fiji often become involved in prostitution because of poverty, boredom, the desire to earn extra spending money, the demand by tourists/adults, and the lack of enforcement and education.

The commercial sexual exploitation of children is a problem in Fiji and we have made inroads while trying to address this issue, for instance:

• Our penal codes have been updated and reflect the international standards on child labour and particularly its worst forms.

• The establishment of the first child labour unit at the Ministry of Labour has improved knowledge of child labour and brought attention to the importance of prevention work and the importance of keeping children in school.

• The establishment of a special committee on children by the department of social welfare and a human trafficking unit by the Fiji Police Force have been key in strengthening the structures to combat exploitation and trafficking of children.

• Teachers have been provided training on child protection and child labour issues and school-based child protection policies have been developed.

One of the biggest problems currently faced is demand which contributes greatly to the existence of commercial sexual exploitation of children. Without the demand and perpetrators willing to pay for it, children would not be in the industry. Demand is what fuels the entire industry, whether it is individual, organized, or forced slavery.

Government is committed towards addressing the elimination of sexual exploitation through a number of key initiatives.

Firstly, the bill of rights in Fiji’s new constitution has for the first time in the history of our beloved nation and in response to the strong wishes of our people, provided for a wide range of socio-economic rights.

These rights include the right to education, access to health care, housing and sanitation, reasonable access to transportation, food security and safe water, and social security.

Government’s commitment for the protection of children’s rights is also aligned to Fiji’s ratification of the Convention on the Rights of a Child (CRC) as well as the International Labour Organization Conventions on Minimum Age and the Worst Forms of Child Labour.

Under these obligations, the State provides periodic reporting to the United Nations to describe the progress made on key frontiers whether it be legislative, policy, programmes or services for the protection of children in Fiji.

In this respect, I am pleased to note that Fiji has made significant strides in having a National Coordinating Committee on Children (NCCC) to advise, implement, regulate and monitor the rights, environment and welfare of children under the convention on the rights of a child.

Although much has been accomplished, more work needs to be done on this issue and the purpose of this workshop and the role of the youth ambassadors in particular are to highlight this issue in the community.

I have every confidence that each of you will be very well informed about the intent of this training and the expected outcomes emanating from your discussions.

The individuals chosen for today’s training are young people who are able to have positive and strong influences in your respective areas. Each of you has been specifically picked to be a youth ambassador for the elimination of commercial sexual exploitation of children and trafficking.

You have been chosen from various professions and spheres and are well known persons within your respected fields.

You will be trained as ambassadors to raise awareness and advocate against the exploitation of children in your personal and public life.

As youth ambassadors, you will be expected to speak, write or perform publicly in forums to directly influence the audience in their thinking and behavior towards the issue. This is not an easy task but one that requires fortitude and strength of character.

Your acceptance and attendance at this workshop speaks highly of your willingness to make a change.

I end by reflecting that the future of our nation rests, in part, on you – our youth ambassadors. Please consider the important responsibility that has been given to you today to be a voice for the voiceless, the exploited, and the abused. Use every opportunity you can find to make a difference.

I wish to acknowledge the organisers of this gathering - the Homes of Hope and the International Labour Organisation (ILO) - for coordinating a specific training programme that utilises our very own young people as a vital resource in the advocacy against the sexual exploitation and trafficking of children in Fiji.

I also acknowledge the European Union for funding the Homes of Hope Safety Net project, which covers a wide range of actions to combat the exploitation and trafficking of children, including this training of youth ambassadors.

I now have much pleasure in officially opening the training workshop for youth ambassadors on the elimination of sexual exploitation and trafficking of children in Fiji.

Thank you, vinaka vakalevu, sukria, bahoot dhaynavaad.

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