ECPAT is an international non-governmental organisation (NGO) and network headquartered in Thailand

Thailand

Thailand , officially the Kingdom of Thailand , formerly known as Siam , is a country located at the centre of the Indochina peninsula and Southeast Asia. It is bordered to the north by Burma and Laos, to the east by Laos and Cambodia, to the south by the Gulf of Thailand and Malaysia, and to the...

 which is designed to end commercial sexual exploitation of children

Commercial sexual exploitation of children

Commercial sexual exploitation of children constitutes a form of coercion and violence against children and amounts to forced labour and a contemporary form of slavery....

. Founded in 1990, ECPAT is a presence in more than 75 nations and serves the Economic and Social Council of the United Nations

United Nations

The United Nations is an international organization whose stated aims are facilitating cooperation in international law, international security, economic development, social progress, human rights, and achievement of world peace...

 (ECOSOC) in Special Consultative Status.

History

The organization, the name of which is drawn from "End Child Prostitution, Child Pornography and Trafficking of Children for Sexual Purposes", was formed in 1990 in Thailand in response to the increasing practice of child prostitution in Asia. Initially intended as a three-year regional program, ECPAT's purpose expanded with growing awareness of the commercial sexual exploitation of children in other regions. ECPAT held its first International Assembly in 1999, with more than 50 countries sending representatives to the Bangkok

Bangkok

Bangkok is the capital and largest urban area city in Thailand. It is known in Thai as Krung Thep Maha Nakhon or simply Krung Thep , meaning "city of angels." The full name of Bangkok is Krung Thep Mahanakhon Amon Rattanakosin Mahintharayutthaya Mahadilok Phop Noppharat Ratchathani Burirom...

meeting. Additional International Assemblies have been held in 2002, 2005 and 2008. As of 2011, the number of countries with ECPAT affiliated organizations numbers over 75.

Networks

The member organizations of ECPAT function independently under the oversight of an International Board in pursuit of the goal of ending child sexual exploitation, with international assemblies held every three years. Each group focuses on the needs of its area, but may also provide outreach support to other groups.