With the aim of redoubling its efforts to protect the human rights of children and adolescents (NNA) against the crime of trafficking, Volaris signed an Addendum with the international organization ECPAT (End child prostitution, child pornography and trafficking of children for sexual purposes), with which it expands the application of The Code protocol to its operations in the Central and South American countries where the airline operates, implementing this effective code of conduct that helps identify possible cases related to this illegal act.
In an event held at the Presidente InterContinental hotel and in the presence of authorities, diplomatic representatives, international organizations, civil society organizations, opinion leaders and allies of this cause, Volaris and ECPAT expanded the scope of their alliance, by extending the application of The Code to the airline's operations in Costa Rica, El Salvador, Guatemala, Honduras, Colombia and Peru.
This step adds to the multiple efforts that Volaris has made to protect the integrity, life and development of girls, boys and adolescents since 2013, when it became a Top Member of The Code, positioning itself as the first airline in Latin America and the second in the world to join this initiative, which has allowed Volaris Ambassadors to detect more than 150 possible cases of trafficking of minors, which led to the rescue of 15 children and adolescents.
“Today is the time for all of us to make stronger decisions to eradicate this problem. I invite you to redouble our efforts, starting by raising awareness and making visible the seriousness of the issue, as well as by implementing concrete actions that allow us to make a difference together, to make a better future possible for our children. If we all open our eyes, we will change the destiny of more girls, boys and adolescents,” said Enrique Beltranena, executive president and general director of Volaris.
Volaris trains more than 5,000 Ambassadors annually, updating their knowledge to identify and report possible cases of trafficking. The above contributed to the fact that, in 2023 alone, the company detected four positive cases.
Within the framework of the event, Volaris also presented the “Eyes in the sky” campaign, whose objective is to raise awareness among Clients and society in general about the seriousness of this problem, so that more girls, boys and adolescents have the opportunity to enjoy a more promising and secure future. We invite you to visit the Volaris Facebook page @viajaVolaris to learn about the campaign.
Through awareness-raising messages on social networks and commercial spaces, the campaign seeks to ensure that passengers have more information about the characteristics of child trafficking and learn useful tools that help them detect and report behaviors that could correspond to situations of exploitation. Commercial Sexuality of Girls, Boys and Adolescents (CSEC).
“Volaris is a pleasant example of how airlines can promote sustainable tourism, a concept that goes beyond the environment, by seeking to care for the integrity of people. If we consider that, according to UN Migration, 80% of trafficking victims cross borders through airports and land points, the aviation industry plays a crucial role in preventing this crime. Bringing The Code to six other countries with this Addendum will help ensure a better destiny for many children and adolescents throughout the region,” commented Norma Elena Negrete, National Coordinator of ECPAT Mexico.
During his participation, the representative of the United Nations Office on Drugs and Crime (UNODC), Kristian Hölge, revealed that “46% of traffickers belong to organized crime and trafficking patterns are changing, which makes it difficult to efforts of the authorities, private sector and civil society. Based on data from 141 countries, there are 500 thousand victims and 300 thousand traffickers. 60% of the victims manage to save themselves with the help of their community, and therefore the importance of prevention, citizen participation and corporate social responsibility. Using our ability to convene and coordinate with the government, with the interstate commission, private initiative and civil society, we use the Blue Heart seal to raise awareness in the world.”
For his part, the Head of the Administration and Finance Unit of the Ministry of Tourism, José Gabriel Rosillo, admitted that the government is aware of this problem, thus promoting efforts to combat it; However, he pointed out that there is a need to create more collaboration networks like the one carried out by Volaris with ECPAT. “Faced with a phenomenon that is subject to being captured by organized crime, the worst thing we can do is be disorganized. That is why we recognize this effort to have tourism free of human trafficking,” he highlighted.
Lourdes Prieto, director of sustainability and institutional relations at Grupo Presidente, pointed out that the hotel firm created the sustainability area from which several projects and initiatives have been promoted to mitigate the risks of this problem. “In October 2023 we signed the certification with ECPAT, The Code, uniting causes with Volaris, which allows us to join forces to work on the prevention and care of the girls, boys and adolescents who visit us. As a company dedicated to hospitality and tourism, we must ensure that our facilities are safe spaces, free of danger for our visitors, especially children and adolescents,” she stressed.
In turn, the general director of Fundación Azteca, Antonio Domínguez, stated: “We have the responsibility of raising awareness in our society about this unfortunate issue; Communication leaders are a key player in generating this awareness. Given the high presence of trafficking cases in Mexico, we have the duty to act as a society; It is everyone's responsibility to attack them as a team, hand in hand with companies and in alliance with the government."
Finally, a space for dialogue was opened between all participants, where international organizations, civil society, diplomatic representatives, specialists and opinion leaders presented their points of view and proposals to advance the prevention and attention of this crime.