Putting children first

THIS week was a turning point for the rights and needs of children in Ireland.

The day after a rousing speech by the Taoiseach, who proudly committed that children will come first in today’s Ireland, The Body Shop, ECPAT and the Children’s Rights Alliance, presented Ireland’s petition to the Minister for Children and Youth Affairs, Frances Fitzgerald, to “STOP Sex Trafficking of Children and Young People”.

It is significant that over 165,000 Irish people signed the petition, making Ireland one of the most enthusiastic countries of all 50 countries backing the global campaign to stop the sale of 1.8m children every year into the sex trade.

Thanks to the support of our signatories, the Government is taking positive steps to ratify the UN Optional Protocol on the Sale of Children, Child Prostitution and Child Pornography.

After 11 years of inaction on this important commitment, Ireland seems to be at last on track to put children first.

Peter Macdonald

Managing director

The Body Shop Ireland

Dublin 2