SFA Locsin Reaffirms Philippines’ Commitment to Protect Children From Violence in High-Level Meeting With United Nations Special Representative
Foreign Affairs Secretary Teodoro L. Locsin, Jr. delivers the closing remarks at the virtual High-Level Meeting between the Philippine Government and the UN Special Representative of the Secretary-General on Violence Against Children, Dr. Najat Maalla M’jid, organized by the Department of Social Welfare and Development (DSWD) on 08 April 2021. (DFA-OPCD photo)
PASAY CITY 08 April 2021 – Foreign Affairs Secretary Teodoro L. Locsin, Jr. underscored the Philippines’ strong commitment to the protection of children from violence during his closing remarks at the High-Level Meeting between the Philippine Government and the United Nations (UN) Special Representative of the Secretary-General on Violence Against Children, Dr. Najat Maalla M’jid, on 08 April 2021.
Secretary Locsin underscored the existence of robust national mechanisms to protect children from all forms of violence, as well as the Philippines’ strong advocacy on the rights of the child in the UN and the Association of Southeast Asian Nations (ASEAN). Secretary Locsin also raised how the COVID-19 pandemic has affected the well-being of children.
The virtual meeting was organized by the Department of Social Welfare and Development (DSWD) in partnership with the United Nations Children’s Fund (UNICEF). It provided a platform for different stakeholders to engage in meaningful dialogue towards accelerating the End Violence Against Children agenda in the Philippines.
A champion for the cause of children, the Philippines is one of the first countries in the region to have a national plan of action – the Philippine Plan of Action to End Violence Against Children (PPAEVAC) 2017-2022. The Philippines is also a Pathfinding Country in Ending Violence Against Children, serving as an example for other countries in tackling the root causes of violence against children. Watch the video statement here :https://youtu.be/_uEsdCs0QTc. END