ECPAT’s global campaign to end child sexual exploitation was launched in May 1990 when a small group of concerned individuals gathered in Chiang Mai in Northern Thailand. Organisations from across the globe heard this call to action and joined hands to provide support to combat this heinous problem. Since then, ECPAT has worked to better understand the web of child sexual exploitation through research and pushed for the critical systemic and social changes necessary to eliminate this scourge together with governments, intergovernmental institutions, the private sector, civil society and the general public, including children themselves. ECPAT has organized and co-sponsored three Global Congresses (Stockholm 1996, Yokohama 2001 and Rio De Janeiro 2008) which has firmly placed the issue of child sexual exploitation on the agendas of global leaders and decision-makers.