• Human trafficking is a serious violation of human rights, a global problem, and one of the most shameful crimes that exist, as it deprives millions of human beings of their freedom and dignity.
• Through this crime, traffickers deceive women, men, adolescents, girls, and boys from all corners of the planet, subjecting them daily to situations of exploitation, generally through extreme forms of violence.
• While the most known form of human trafficking is sexual exploitation, thousands of victims of this crime of all ages are recruited, transported, sold, and bought for purposes of slavery, forced labor and services, forced begging, illegal adoptions, use of minors in criminal activities, forced marriages, or organ extraction, among others.
• Mexico is considered a country of origin, transit, and destination for victims of human trafficking. (United Nations Office on Drugs and Crime — UNODC)

• The exploitation of minors generally involves the exercise of situations of violence, deception, manipulation, or abuse to persuade or compel a girl, boy, or adolescent to do something for the benefit of others. This includes, but is not limited to, sexual exploitation, labor exploitation, and the worst forms of child labor.
• The International Labor Organization (ILO) defines the worst forms of child labor as all forms of slavery where children are used and sold to perform forced labor, including recruitment and their use in: armed conflicts, sexual exploitation through prostitution and pornography, illicit activities such as the production and trafficking of narcotics, and behaviors or jobs that by their nature are likely to harm the health, safety, and integrity of children.
• In the travel and tourism sector, the sexual exploitation of minors occurs when a sexual aggressor as a "turist," whether national or foreign, travels to a destination and, with the complicity of exploiters or traffickers, sexually abuses girls, boys, or adolescents in exchange for money or goods.
• Those who commit these crimes make use of the infrastructure and services offered by the tourism industry such as: hotels, motels, and rented properties, travel agencies, land and air transportation companies or individuals, food and beverage establishments, spas, and entertainment centers which, sometimes with or without the knowledge and intent of their owners or employees, can be used for the commission of these crimes.

Tourism is a lawful and positive activity, linked to healthy recreation, the enjoyment and recognition of cultures, promoting unity among peoples, and the appreciation of resource diversity. It is a sector that honestly sustains millions of Mexican men and women and, under no circumstances, seeks to foster criminal behavior that violates human rights or dignity.

Therefore, it is the obligation of all of us who live in and enjoy tourism to protect its essence and express an absolute rejection of any behavior or conduct that harms and violates the freedom, dignity, integrity, and safety of people, especially girls, boys, and adolescents, committing ourselves to act with solidarity, legality, and responsibility, to build Tourism Free of Exploitation.

It is developed at the initiative of the Secretary of Tourism of the Government of Mexico and is based on international actions and policies, such as "The Code", created by ECPAT International and the World Tourism Ethics Code of the World Tourism Organization (UNWTO).

It is a voluntary self-regulation instrument for the tourism industry, containing criteria to protect girls, boys, and adolescents against sexual and labor exploitation and child labor; mainly in its worst forms applicable in companies, establishments, organizations, and among tourism service providers.

The "National Code of Conduct" allows companies, organizations, and professionals who adopt it to develop socially responsible policies on this issue, within their facilities, as well as with all service chain providers and their clients, to positively impact destinations and communities.

1. To guide and commit the national tourism industry to the prevention, detection, and reporting of situations of sexual exploitation and child labor in their worst forms in the travel and tourism sector.
2. To encourage the various actors in the sector to adopt a zero-tolerance stance against any type of exploitation, especially when it affects minors, through the implementation of comprehensive actions that contribute to improving the quality of life of the population in tourist destinations.
3. To promote values of respect, responsibility, and commitment among national and international tourists visiting our country, in order to protect and respect the communities that host them.

That the "National Code of Conduct (CCN)" becomes a reference for mobilizing the national tourism industry, involving the largest number of its actors, in the protection of girls, boys, and adolescents, to modify or curb the factors that allow exploitation to continue violating their rights, in the context of travel and tourism.

CREATED TO PREVENT THE SEXUAL AND LABOR EXPLOITATION OF MINORS AND CHILD LABOR IN TOURIST ESTABLISHMENTS.

• Self-regulation instrument
• Voluntary adherence
• Any type of tourist establishment can sign and implement it.
• Promotes the adoption of ethical practices and corporate social responsibility.

• Lodging
• Food and beverages
• Travel agencies
• Ground and air transport
• Spa's
• Entertainment centers
• Tour Guides
• Resorts
• Meetings tourism and specialized segments
• Any establishment in the sector.

On the www.ccn.sectur.gob.mx portal you will find downloadable tools and elements so you can easily implement each of the 6 guidelines that make up the CCN. You can download all materials, adopt them, and adapt them to the needs of your establishment and integrate them as evidence of compliance.

Upon completion of the implementation process in a maximum of 6 months, the Secretary of Tourism will issue a Recognition and grant LODGING establishments 40 points for the hotel classification system.

Implementation of the National Code of Conduct Guidelines

Establish in a governing document of the company, its commitment against the sexual and labor exploitation of girls, boys, and adolescents.

Objective: To formally express the establishment's commitment to the issue and socialize it with collaborators.

The company or establishment can incorporate clauses related to the commitment to the CCN, zero tolerance for these crimes, and/or the protection of the rights of girls, boys, and adolescents into the following governing documents.

• Social responsibility policy
• Regulations
• Mission
• Vision
• Values
• Induction manual
• Manifesto of good will
• Among others

To certify compliance with this guideline:

1. You can download any of the examples available for this guideline on the portal (Social Responsibility Policy, Manifesto, or Regulations) and adapt them to your company's needs.
2. Or you can develop your own documents integrating clauses or texts that express a commitment to ZERO TOLERANCE for these crimes (exploitation of NNA, child labor, human trafficking, sexual exploitation of NNA, and labor exploitation of NNA).
3. The documents must be signed by the legal representative or a high-level executive of the company or establishment.
4. They must be scanned and integrated into the system as a PDF as evidence of compliance with guideline No. 1.

Implementation of the National Code of Conduct Guidelines

Raise awareness and/or train company personnel on the prevention of sexual and labor exploitation of girls, boys, and adolescents in the travel and tourism sector and the National Code of Conduct.

It is important that at least 80% of your collaborators, especially those who have direct contact with clients and suppliers, have precise information on topics such as human trafficking, the sexual and labor exploitation of girls, boys, and adolescents, child labor, and the protection of the rights of minors, as well as the Action Protocol for presumably ESLNNA cases (which is in Guideline No. 3 of this Code of Conduct).

We suggest that you request support from an institution responsible for prevention, crime prosecution, or victim assistance (e.g., Human Rights Commission, Migration Office, DIF, SIPINNA, among others) or an NGO, to provide an awareness talk or to train your establishment's collaborators on the prevention of these issues.

In Guideline No. 2 of the www.ccn.sectur.gob.mx portal, you will find an awareness session, which will provide you with a certificate, as well as support materials.

Implement the Action Protocol for presumably sexual and labor exploitation cases of girls, boys, and adolescents in the travel and tourism sector.

To certify compliance with this guideline:

1. You must download from the system the Protocol example that can serve as a basis for developing your establishment's own.
2. Adapt the content according to your establishment's security procedures and the functions performed by each collaborator.
3. Personalize it with the establishment's data and the legal representative.
4. The legal representative or a high-level executive must approve it with their signature.
5. Scan the final document and upload it as PDF evidence under guideline No. 3.
6. Train your staff and rehearse possible risk situations.
7. Upload the evidence.

Form collaboration and promotion networks for the prevention of sexual and labor exploitation of girls, boys, and adolescents.

Some institutions that can support you:

• National Guard
• Justice enforcement institutions
• Non-Governmental Organizations.
• State Commissions or Committees against human trafficking.
• State or municipal women's institutes. State or municipal DIF system.
• State Protection Systems for Girls, Boys, and Adolescents (SIPINNA).
• Citizen Council
• Gendarmerie, Tourist Police, Prosecutor's Office.
• Others

Inform clients, and inform and involve the value chain, regarding the National Code of Conduct.

Submit an annual report on the application of the National Code of Conduct to the Ministry of Tourism.