On Wed., Oct. 20, the worlds of diplomacy and pop culture will come together for an urgent mission at the United Nations General Assembly in New York encouraging governments to protect children from human trafficking, particularly the crime of child sex tourism.

Ricky Martin will be the featured speaker at a luncheon and panel discussion with foreign ambassadors sponsored by the U.S. State Department and the non-government organization World Vision. Countries around the globe will join the U.S. in sharing actions they have successfully taken to fight child sex tourism. Martin, a child advocate, established The Ricky Martin Foundation to benefit children in need. In support of his continuous concern for children around the world who fall victims of poverty, illness and abandonment, the Foundation focuses on allocating funds to different projects and/or proposals from child-focused institutions such as 'People for Children,' a charity focused on eliminating the trafficking and exploitation of children.

The luncheon will be followed by a 3 p.m. press conference in the U.N. Press Briefing Room (S-226), at which Martin, U.S. Ambassador John R. Miller, and Department of Homeland Security Assistant Secretary Michael Garcia will discuss child sex tourism, how victims are impacted by it, and efforts to crack down on tourists preying on vulnerable children abroad.

Every year, an estimated 2 million children are enslaved in the commercial sex trade fueled by child sex tourism, a component of modern-day slavery involving young victims who are forced, defrauded or coerced into exploitation.

Officials from France, Brazil, and the Philippines also will be available for interviews at the press conference. The panelists are from countries that have demonstrated marked progress in the area of prosecution, prevention and protection of child sex tourism.