성착취피해아동의 보호를 위한 국제사회의 대응-일본의 아동매춘관광의 근절을 위한 여행업계의 대응을 중심으로-

Abstract

Sexual exploitation of children in travel and tourism, also referred to as “child sex tourism(CST)” affects millions of children in the world, violating their fundamental rights and dignity. Persons who travel from their own country to a foreign country to engage in a commercial sex act with a child commit CST. The crime is fueled by weak law enforcement, the Internet, ease of travel, and poverty. Tourists engaging in CST typically travel from their home countries to developing countries. In response to the growing phenomenon of CST, intergovernmental organizations, the tourism industry, and governments have begun to address the issue. World Congresses Against Commercial Sexual Exploitation convened in Stockholm and Yokohama in 1996 and 2001, drawing significant international attention to the issue. The World Tourism Organization established a task force to combat CST and promulgated a Global Code of Conduct for Tourism in 1999. Effective as of 1999, Japan's Law for Punishing Acts Related to Child Prostitution and Child Pornography, and for Protecting Children, makes any person "who engages in child prostitution"punishable by imprisonment.6 Article 10 specifies that this allows for the 6Prosecution of Japanese nationals who commit such acts abroad. And in 2005, the Code of Conduct for the Protection of Children from Sexual Exploitation in Travel and Tourism was drawn up in Japan. It invites travel companies to become incorporated into its ethical policy guidelines for the fight against child sex tourism. This paper focuses on the travel industry in Japan to examine the existing conditions and difficulties in implementing the Code of Conduct, and to suggest some remedies for improving its activities.