Since 2004, the outset of the G8 BMENA Initiative, civil society participants from the region have held a "parallel" meeting concurrent with the meetings of the Forum. The 2012 Civil Society Preparatory Meeting, which included for the first time the participation of the private sector, was called to order at 9:00 am on Tuesday, December 11, under the leadership of the League of Women Voters and its Tunisian partners, ARFORGHE and the Tunisian American Chamber of Commerce.

The days of fighting an issue of a global proportions from a silo perspective can’t be effective with limited resources.  We need to find ways to work together, work smarter with ways that are proven.  Trafficking is a $32 billion industry and even if we rescue all the girls today—tomorrow a new crop will be in place.  Therefore the Permanent Mission of Brazil to the United Nations, the Working Group on Girls, PPSEAWA and the League of Women Voters of the United States co-sponsored a panel discussion on "Best Practices:  Preventing Child Exploitation at Major Events."  Speakers provided ins

A meeting of the UN's Special Reprresentative to the Secretary General (SRSG) to Prevent Violence Against Children, Ms. Marta Santos Pais, her Special Assistant, Mr. Joost Koojmans, Director of UN Washington Office, Mr. Rodney Bent, and US Senator Robert Menendez (D-NJ) and his Senior Policy Advisor, Ms. Jodi B. Herman and the League's UN Observer, Ms.