Last November, on the occasion of the anniversary of the signature of the International Treaty for the Rights of Children, the annual International Press Conference was held in Paris by Mrs Giscard d'Estaing's Fondation pour l'Enfance, and was attended by personalities from all over the world.
The subject of 1997's Press Conference was the official announcement of the creation of the European Office of Missing and Exploited Children, and a presentation of this organisation's workings and its Europe-wide network.
The panel of speakers was composed of Queen Sylvia of Sweden, Princess Maria- Teresa of Luxembourg, Mrs Giscard d'Estaing, the well-known journalist Jean-Marie Cavada (???), the president of the European Office of Missing and Exploited Children, Professor Andre Bossard, Mrs Marie-Paule Poilpot, director of the Fondation pour l'Enfance and of specialists in matters concerning children.
Mrs Marianna Vardinoyannis, as president of the Foundation for the Child and the Family, which is also the official representation of the European Office of Missing and Exploited Children in Greece, was invited to speak to the conference.
As was made known to those present, the need for the formation and operation of this organization arose from the findings of the "International Conference on the sexual exploitation and commercialisation of children", which was held in Stockholm in August 1996, under the patronage of Queen Sylvia.
Mrs Vardinoyannis, in her speech, referred to the importance of cooperation between European institutions, governmental or non-governmental, and also to the significance of international cooperation, in confronting this problem which is a scourge of our times.
Mrs Vardinoyannis emphasised that the abuse and abduction of children must be confronted with all available means, with awareness programmes for parents and children, with protective measures for the child and the family and with the development of specialised services which will deal with these matters and with the heightening of public awareness.
"I am" she said in conclusion "particularly satisfied that the Foundation for the Child and the Family has taken this initiative to heart and is supporting the European Office of Missing and Exploited Children. Because, as my associates and I believe, isolated protests and restricted attempts are not enough to face this problem, and a coordinated and organised effort is needed at a European and international level."
