The Ministry of Ports and Airports (MPor) signed a memorandum of understanding on Thursday (19th) with the WCF-Brasil institute (Childhood Brasil) to integrate efforts aimed at protecting human rights and combating child violence and sexual exploitation. The initiative formalizes institutional cooperation in the promotion and execution of actions in port, airport and inland waterway areas across the country.
The partnership aims to mirror in Brazil's ports the success of the Na Mão Certa initiative, led for nearly two decades by Childhood Brasil in combating sexual exploitation on Brazilian highways. Among the actions established in the Memorandum of Understanding (MOU) are the strengthening of a social responsibility agenda, training of professionals on human rights, integrity and child protection, as well as the adoption of governance, environmental and social criteria in MPor's public policies, which include the protection of vulnerable groups.
For Minister Silvio Costa Filho, the country's logistics modernization must go hand in hand with an agenda to protect vulnerable social groups. "Brazil's transport infrastructure is not limited to moving cargo, transporting passengers and modernizing terminals. Bringing the agenda of combating violence against children into our operations is not just a government policy, it is a moral and non-negotiable commitment of our sector," he said.
"Bringing the agenda of combating violence against children into our operations is not just a government policy, it is a moral and non-negotiable commitment of our sector" Silvio Costa Filho
"The Na Mão Certa program innovated by engaging companies and truckers as protection agents. Today, there are already more than 400 participating companies, and monitoring shows that awareness-raising generates concrete results. In addition to federal highways, we are expanding operations to ports and airports, where there is a strong link to human trafficking for sexual purposes," declared Childhood Brasil's executive director, Laís Cardoso Peretto.
The memorandum also provides for actions such as the creation of protocols for assisting victims and the requirement of child protection criteria in the Ministry's Sustainability Seal. The focus will also be on promoting socially responsible corridors in critical regions, such as the Legal Amazon and border areas.
"I speak as someone who witnessed this reality up close, when I was at the Port of Paranaguá. During that time, I saw how sexual exploitation, especially of children and adolescents, is a serious and deeply cruel problem. That is why it is important to strengthen initiatives that address this reality and provide a response to those who suffer from this violence," said the National Secretary of Ports, Alex Ávila.
MPor's Director of Sustainability, Larissa Amorim, emphasized that the institute's technical expertise will be the differentiator for the program's effectiveness. "Childhood Brasil has a robust track record of operations in logistics and transportation. Bringing this expertise to our modes allows us to make a leap in child protection policies, a sensitive topic that needs to be addressed with due urgency," she said.
Childhood Brasil
Founded in 1999 by Queen Silvia of Sweden (born in Germany, but with a Brazilian mother), the WCF-Brasil Institute (Childhood Brasil) works with a focus on integrating and engaging public sector agencies, private organizations and civil society in actions to combat sexual violence against children and adolescents.
Through research, mobilizations and campaigns, it develops actions aimed at preventing violations of youth rights. These actions are educational, informative, structural and advocacy-oriented. Over more than two decades of operations in Brazil, it has already formed partnerships with the Federal Highway Police, the Court of Justice of São Paulo, Unicef Brasil, the National Council of Justice and the Ministry of Justice.
Source: https://www.gov.br/portos-e-aeroportos/pt-br/assuntos/noticias/2026/03/ministerio-de-portos-e-aeroportos-e-childhood-brasil-fortalecem-acoes-de-combate-a-exploracao-sexual-infantil
