Founder of ECPAT International Ronald Michael O'Grady nominated for Nobel Peace Prize

In 1990 Ronald Michael O'Grady founded ECPAT, a network of non-governmental organisations dedicated to eliminating the commercial sexual exploitation of children. During the past few days, two Nobel Peace Prize 2014 nominations for Ronald Michael O'Grady have been submitted to the Nobel Peace Prize committee in Oslo.

One nomination has been submitted by Mr Alf Svensson, Member of the European Parliament, and another one was submitted by Mr Fredrik Lundh Sammeli, a member of the Swedish Riksdag (parliament). A third nomination will be submitted by a New Zeeland parliamentarian during the next few days.

- Ron O'Grady started the work that is today carried out by ECPAT groups in over 70 countries. He is an obvious candidate for the Nobel Peace Prize, says Ms Helena Karlén, Secretary General of ECPAT Sweden.

"Few organisations are as clearly indispensable to the cause they advance as ECPAT. The organisation and its founder are worthy recipients of the Nobel Peace Prize. We must never turn our backs to the exploitation, the violation of integrity, the trafficking, the modern slavery. We must stand up for human values. This is my, and all politicians, most important task," Mr Alf Svensson writes in a comment to his nomination.

Today, ECPAT is a global network with over 80 organisations in more than 70 countries. The network's organisations work with long-term advocacy against the commercial sexual exploitation against children. Ronald Michael O'Grady is currently the Honorary President of ECPAT International and Chair of ECPAT New Zealand.

For further information, please contact:
Thomas Andersson, press secretary ECPAT Sweden
thomas.andersson@ecpat.se