AICHR Philippines Holds 4th ASEAN Dialogue on the UN Convention on the Rights of the Child in Manila

DSWD Secretary Rex Gatchalian (5th from right), AICHR Chair Yuyun Wahyuningrum  and AICHR-PH Representative Hans Mohaimin Siriban led the ASEAN Dialogue on the UN CRC with ASEAN Member States and child rights advocates held on 22-23 June 2023 at Makati Diamond Residences.
(Photo Courtesy of DFA-OPCD James Ryan Artiaga)

MANILA, 30 June 2023 – The ASEAN Intergovernmental Commission on Human Rights (AICHR) Philippines, in cooperation with the UNICEF  East Asia and Pacific Regional Office (UNICEF EAPRO) and Child Rights Coalition Asia (CRC Asia) conducted the ASEAN Dialogue on the United Nations Convention on the Rights of the Child (UNCRC) on 22-23 June 2023 in Manila, Philippines.

The Dialogue focused on the UNCRC General Comment No. 25 on children’s rights in relation to the digital environment. Since 2018, the Dialogue has been part of AICHR Philippines’ continuing advocacy to promote and protect the rights of every child in ASEAN. It aims to discuss AMS’ experiences and challenges to localize the General Comments, Recommendations, and Concluding Observations issued by the UN Committee on the Rights of the Child (CRC Committee).

In his keynote remarks, Honorable Secretary Rex Gatchalian, Secretary of the Department of Social Welfare and Development,  emphasized the need to “ensure that children are able to thrive in a safe, nurturing, and enabling environment” as they are the next generation of leaders.

DFA Secretary Enrique A. Manalo, in a message delivered by DFA-ASEAN Deputy Assistant Secretary Angelito A. Nayan welcomed the Dialogue as “an opportunity for ASEAN Member States to not only exchange views and practices but also to develop policies and actionable proposals to protect our children while they navigate the digital environment.”

In his welcome remarks, Philippine Representative to AICHR Hans Mohaimin L. Siriban noted the timeliness of discussing General Comment No. 25 as “technology shall always be double-edged…[posing] new challenges to the discharge of the State’s duties and adds layers of complexity…[to] the protection and fulfillment of the rights of stakeholders.”

(Photo Courtesy of DFA-OPCD James Ryan Artiaga)

The event was participated in by representatives of ASEAN Member States (AMS) to the AICHR and the ACWC, stakeholders and child rights advocates from the government agencies of AMS, representatives from international organizations, national human rights institutions, and civil society organizations.

During the two-day Dialogue, the participants discussed the status of children’s rights in ASEAN, recent updates on the implementation of the Regional Plan of Action for the Protection of Children from All Forms of Online Exploitation and Abuse in ASEAN, and latest developments on the work of the CRC Committee. They also shared emerging issues in the region, such as children’s rights in the context of business and human rights (BHR), the impact of COVID-19 on the lives of children, and the right to a healthy environment.

In addition, the Dialogue became a platform for exchanging experiences, challenges, best practices, and opportunities in upholding children’s rights in the digital environment. Considerations in relation to UN CRC Concluding Observations were also discussed.

The sessions included presentations from the representatives of AICHR and the Children’s Rights Representatives to the ASEAN Committee on the Promotion and Protection of the Rights of Women and Children (ACWC), practitioners and experts on child rights from UNICEF, Childline Thailand Foundation, and Child Protection Network.

Also among the speakers were Justice Mama Fatima Singateh, the UN Special Rapporteur on the sale and exploitation of children who shared a recorded message on combating the sale and sexual exploitation of children online; Atty. Mikiko Otani, member and Chair of the CRC Committee from May 2021 to May 2023; and child speaker Jemuel, President of Pinagsamang Lakas ng Kabataan from the Philippines, who shared his views child participation in online political discourse, access to correct and sufficient information online, digital literacy, and children’s mental health, among others.

The Dialogue concluded by acknowledging the need to build institutional capacities and technical expertise on General Comment No. 25 and the need for a multi-sectoral collaboration in its implementation. END