Caroline recently visited the Body Shop store in Brighton to show her support for a campaign by ECPAT UK and The Body Shop UK to combat child trafficking.

ECPAT UK (End Child Prostitution, Child Pornography and Trafficking of Children for Sexual Purposes) is a leading children's rights organisation campaigning against the commercial sexual exploitation of children in the UK and on its international aspects.

It focuses on the protection of trafficked children and children exploited in tourism.

Every year, hundreds of children from over 50 countries - some as young as 11 years old - are trafficked to and exploited in the UK.

While trafficking for sexual exploitation remains the most common form of child trafficking in the UK, children are also trafficked to the country for other types of abuse including labour exploitation, forced participation in criminal activities, forced marriage, illegal adoption and domestic servitude.

Even children who are not trafficked for the explicit purpose of sexual exploitation are vulnerable to rape and sexual abuse because of the dangerous and hidden circumstances in which they are kept.

To combat this crisis, ECPAT and The Body Shop have partnered in a three-year global campaign to stop the trafficking of children and young people, uphold their rights to be protected from exploitation and inspire long-term change to strengthen the protection offered to these children and young people.

Together, they are spearheading an international petition calling on governments across the globe to put child trafficking on their agenda and banish this modern-day slave trade.

In the UK, ECPAT UK and The Body Shop UK are specifically calling on the Government to offer greater care and protection to child victims of trafficking by ensuring every child is provided with a guardian to look after them.

· A system of guardianship would mean that every child victim of trafficking would have someone with parental responsibility to care for and support them and to take decisions based on their best interests.

· A guardian would protect each child and prevent them from facing further exploitation and harm from their traffickers.

The petition can be signed at www.ecpat.org.uk or in any The Body Shop store, and will be delivered to the UK Government in 2011.

Dr Caroline Lucas MP said, "I was heartened to hear about the excellent work that ECPAT UK and The Body Shop UK are doing to tackle the trafficking of children and young people for exploitation of many kinds.

"This appalling form of modern-day slavery must be stamped out and I am very happy to support such efforts by putting my name to the petition.

"I call on local people in Brighton to sign the petition, too."

Christine Beddoe, Director of ECPAT UK said, "Children who have been trafficked will often have faced appalling situations of exploitation and abuse.

"They desperately need the support of a designated adult who, in the absence of a parent, can take decisions on the child's behalf and ensure they have access to safe accommodation, education and the medical, practical and legal support they need to help rebuild their lives.

"We are delighted that The Body Shop is joining with ECPAT UK to call for a system of guardianship to be introduced in the UK, and we are most grateful to Dr Lucas for her support."

For more information please contact Brighton and Hove Green Party on 01273 766 670.