RUDER FINN ASIA PARTNERS WITH THE BODY SHOP FOR A SECOND YEAR IN ITS CAMPAIGN AGAINST SEX TRAFFICKING

Ruder Finn Asia is working with The Body Shop Singapore on its Stop Sex Trafficking of Children and Young People campaign for a second consecutive year following the successful launch of the campaign in August 2009.

The campaign, which is taking place in 66 countries around the world, was cited by former United States President Bill Clinton at the fifth Clinton Global Initiative Annual Meeting in 2009 as “an exemplary approach to addressing a specific global challenge”.

Every year an estimated 1.2 million children and young people are trafficked, becoming victims of sexual exploitation and abuse. Human trafficking is the third largest international crime (after illegal drugs and arms trafficking) and believed to be worth billions of dollars each year. According to the United Nations Office on Drugs and Crimes, it is one of the fastest growing criminal activities in the world. It exists in every continent, region and country the world over, from the poorest to the richest.

“Ruder Finn Asia is pleased to be working with The Body Shop for a second year on its campaign against sex trafficking. This is an incredibly important issue that everyone ought to be aware of and doing something about. We are privileged to be able to do our part by working with The Body Shop on their campaign to put a stop to this injustice,” said Jean-Michel Dumont, Chairman of Ruder Finn Asia.

A key component of the second year of this campaign is a global petition to stop sex trafficking. The petitions signed all over the world will be presented to the United Nations in the third quarter of 2011.

In Singapore, the petition calls for people to “Support the United Nations International Conventions in calling all governments to build awareness and understanding on the issue of trafficking of children and young people for sexual purposes and take steps to provide comprehensive protection and specialised services for child and youth survivors of trafficking.”

“The Ruder Finn Asia team has shared our passion for the cause from the beginning and we are pleased to work with them again on the second year of our Stop Sex Trafficking of Children and Young People campaign. With their support, we hope more people will come forward to sign our petition,” said Josephine Chow, General Manager, The Body Shop (Singapore) Pte Ltd.

Customers and supporters in Singapore can sign the petition at The Body Shop stores from August 5 to August 13 or online at www.thebodyshop.com.sg from August 5, 2010 to March 31, 2011.

Customers and supporters can also buy a 50ml SPECIAL EDITION Soft Hands Kind Heart Hand Cream, priced at S$14.90, and a Bag for Life, priced at S$5.90. Profits will be used to fund public education and engagement activities organised by local campaign partners the National Committee for United Nations Development Fund for Women (UNIFEM) Singapore and Humanitarian Organisation for Migration Economics (H.O.M.E). The funds raised will continue to support the ECPAT Youth Partnership Programme in Vietnam.

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About Ruder Finn: Ruder Finn, Inc. is one of the largest independent integrated communication firms in the world, with offices in Chicago, Los Angeles, New York, San Francisco, Washington, Beijing, Hong Kong, Shanghai, Guangzhou, Singapore, London, Paris and Jerusalem. Through offices and affiliates worldwide, the agency serves the global and local communication needs of over 250 corporations, governments and non-profit organizations.

Ruder Finn’s business is structured under four strategic platforms: Life & Style, Health & Wellness, Global Connectivity and Corporate & Public Trust. For more information on Ruder Finn or Ruder Finn Asia, please visit www.ruderfinn.com or www.ruderfinnasia.com

Contact:

Karen Goh Ruder Finn Asia +65 6336 4813 gohk@ruderfinnasia.com

Joey Phua Ruder Finn Asia +65 6336 6451 phuaj@ruderfinnasia.com