New York City, NY -- (SBWIRE) -- 03/18/2011 -- ECPAT-USA, a nonprofit organization that advocates for policies to protect sexually exploited children, announced that Delta Air Lines has become the first major airline in the world to enter the fight against the commercial sexual exploitation of children by signing the tourism Code of Conduct (The Code). The Code specifically focuses on the protection of children from sexual exploitation in the travel and tourism industries. While The Code has been signed by almost 1,000 travel industry members worldwide, Delta is the first U.S. air carrier and the third U.S. organization to sign.

As a subscriber to The Code, Delta will implement policies that condemn child trafficking and provide training to help their employees identify and report trafficking activities. Delta will also raise awareness among customers by including information about ECPAT and the Code in its Sky magazine and delta.com website.

According to Carol Smolenski, Executive Director of ECPAT-USA, the purpose of The Code is to prevent and mitigate child trafficking, as well as encourage a socially responsible, child-wise tourism industry.

“All travel companies could unwittingly be facilitating the sex trafficking of children. If they do nothing to raise awareness or to prevent child trafficking, they risk becoming an indirect and unintentional conduit for the abuse that takes places,” said Smolenski. “We applaud Delta Air Lines for taking the first step toward helping fight the sex trafficking of children that has become a global epidemic.”

Other U.S. organizations that have signed The Code include Carlson Companies, which owns the popular Radisson Hotels, and Global Exchange’s Reality Tours. Smolenski noted that Delta’s signing of The Code is an important milestone in ECPAT’s ongoing efforts to reach U.S. travel companies and create awareness of their need to provide leadership in tackling child trafficking incidents that can happen within their premises.

“On behalf of Delta and its leadership team, Delta is proud to be the first U.S. airline to sign The Code. We look forward to playing a role in ECPAT's important mission to raise awareness about and combat child trafficking. Delta prides itself on doing what is right, and this is the morally right thing to do,” said Richard Anderson, CEO, Delta Air Lines.

Smolenski added: “ECPAT-USA is grateful for the work of Sister Valerie Heinonen of Mercy Investment Services for helping create this new partnership with Delta Air Lines.”

About ECPAT-USA
ECPAT-USA, the U.S. arm of ECPAT International, is focused on protecting children trafficked into the U.S., American children trafficked for sexual exploitation, and foreign children exploited by American tourists traveling abroad. ECPAT International is a global network of organizations working together for the elimination of child trafficking, child prostitution and child pornography.

The network is comprised of 81 groups in 74 countries around the world. All ECPAT groups are independent grassroots organizations, working to combat child exploitation at the local level. For more information, visit http://www.ecpatusa.org.