The Regional Stakeholders Consultation and Planning Workshop on Commercial Sexual Exploitation of Children and Child Sexual Abuse in the Pacific began yesterday in Suva.

Jointly organised by the United Nations Economic and Social Commission for Asia and the Pacific (ESCAP) in partnership with End Child Prostitution, Child Pornography and Trafficking of Children for Sexual Purposes (ESCPAT) International and Save the Children Fiji, the workshop aims to give due recognition to children's vulnerability and adult's responsibilities to nurture and protect children.

The Fiji Times Online reports that according to Save the Children Fiji, "Sadly many children around the world, including children from our own Pacific region, are subjected to various forms of abuse, neglect and exploitation, some of them experiencing any one of these forms or a combination of them on a daily basis. Commercial sexual exploitation and sexual abuse of children are two such forms of abuse and exploitation which countries in the Pacific have strongly committed to address."
The organization also added that, "government and non-government actors will work together over the three days to develop a strategic country plan of action that is tailor made to addressing the situation in their respective countries as we move towards a safer Pacific for our children."

Participants are from Cook Islands, Fiji, Kiribati, Papua New Guinea, Samoa, Solomons and Vanuatu.