5 July 2010

 International Corporate Charter for Child Protection

The following companies have signed up to support the BCCT/CEOP International Corporate Charter for Child Protection:-

Standard Chartered Bank (Thai) pcl
Property Care Services (Thailand) Ltd
HSBC
Mazars Double Impact Ltd
MBMG International Inc
Manpower Thailand
Grand Hyatt Erawan Bangkok
European Safety Concepts Thailand Co Ltd
Jones Lang LaSalle (Thailand) Ltd
Sutlet Group (Thailand) Co Ltd

During March 2010 the British Chamber of Commerce Thailand (BCCT) signed a Memorandum of Understanding with the UK's Child Exploitation and Online Protection Centre (CEOP), in order to promote the work of CEOP's International Child Protection Network. Further detailed information on CEOP which is a part of UK police and its relationship with BCCT may be found on the BCCT website.

What are the general challenges in promoting child protection?

1. Children are at risk of abuse and exploitation where there is poverty and deprivation

2. There is often little understanding of child protection issues - or acknowledgement of the need for a specific response to children which separate to the response to adults and is based on an understanding of their needs and vulnerabilities

3. Underlying systems of protection are often weak which leaves professionals and members of the public facing complex child protection dilemmas even where they do seek to become involved.

4. These cut across and are further challenged by the different legal, social, cultural contexts in which agencies work.

A child's right to protection
 

Children and young people have a right to be protected and to be safe from harm from others. We will work to promote the safety and wellbeing of children in all the ways that we can. We will be guided by the principles of the UN Convention on the Rights of the Child that:
'States parties shall take all appropriate legislative, administrative, social and educational measures to protect the child from all forms of physical and mental violence, injury or abuse, neglect or negligent treatment, maltreatment or exploitation, including sexual abuse, while in the care of parent(s), legal guardian(s) or any other person who has the care of a child.' Article 19 - UN Convention on the Rights of the Child

We therefore agree to the following principles:

All children have equal rights to protection from exploitation and abuse