Dear Editor,

Your recent article “Sofitel inks anti-pedophile code” (Post, January 15) is very welcome indeed, as Sofitel adds its name to the growing number of hotels and businesses making a commitment to actively protecting children in the community.

Although Sofitel is the first signatory to the ECPAT code,  it’s important to note there are already a significant number of hotels and businesses in Cambodia whose staff have  been trained in child protection by the globally recognised Friends-International ChildSafe Network and have been formally accredited by the network as being child-safe.

ChildSafe focuses not only on child prostitution and trafficking, but on all abuses that may occur to children.

There are currently 96 hotels in the country whose staff have been fully trained by ChildSafe and who receive regular refresher training from the network.

ChildSafe also works closely with the tourism industry: to date, 19 tour agencies have been trained to recognise, and respond to, potential abuse of children.

The Friends-International 3PC program also brings together NGOs from across the country to streng-then child protection in Cambodia.

These initiatives, together with those such as ECPAT and others, bear out the work that is being done to effectively protect Cambodia’s children.

In the words of the ChildSafe Network tagline, we are all “together, protecting children”.

James Sutherland

International communications co-ordinator Friends-International

Send letters to: [email protected] or PO Box 146, Phnom Penh, Cambodia. The Post reserves the right to edit letters to a shorter length.

The views expressed above are solely the author’s and do not reflect any positions taken by The Phnom Penh Post.