Department of Social Welfare and Development (DSWD) Secretary Rex Gatchalian on Thursday called on Association of Southeast Asian Nations (ASEAN) member states to continue improving the promotion and protection of the rights of children whom he called next generation of leaders.
Gatchalian made the call during the opening session of the two-day ASEAN Dialogue on the United Nations Convention on the Rights of the Child at the Manila Diamond Residences in Makati City.
“As the next generation of leaders, we must continue to ensure that children are able to thrive in a safe, nurturing, and enabling environment wherein they can freely participate and develop their full potential,” Gatchalian said.
He pointed out the importance of the dialogue in providing a regional platform to collaboratively discuss ways to strengthen the enjoyment of the rights of the child.
“This dialogue is a crucial event to share good practices and to determine new areas for cross sectoral collaboration to strengthen regional solidarity and cooperation in the ASEAN,” Gatchalian said.
ASEAN countries are expected to respond to the recommendations and observations by the Child Rights Coalition (CRC) Asia in the implementation of the UN Convention on the Rights of the Child, the most widely ratified human rights treaty in the world.
Among the concerns to be discussed in the conference are the overall effects of the Covid-19 pandemic; digital environment; climate change and the environment; gender and disability inclusions; cultural background; right to health; trafficking in person and other transnational crimes and literacy.
Gatchalian expressed gratitude to the ASEAN Intergovernmental Commission on Human Rights (AICHR) in partnership with the CRC Asia and the United Nations Children’s Fund – East Asia and Pacific Regional Office (UNICEF-EAPRO) for spearheading the event, as part of the Philippine government’s continuing initiative to promote the rights of children in ASEAN since 2018.
Aside from the Philippines, other ASEAN members include Brunei, Cambodia, Indonesia, Laos, Malaysia, Myanmar, Singapore, Thailand and Vietnam. (PNA)