Department of Social Welfare and Development (DSWD) Secretary Rex Gatchalian showed his support to the protection of children during the Association of Southeast Asian Nations (ASEAN) Dialogue on the United Nations Convention on the Rights of the Child.

During the opening session of the conference at the Manila Diamond Residences in Makati City Thursday (June 22), Secretary Gatchalian called for the member states of the ASEAN to join hands in improving the promotion and protection of child rights in the region.

“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,” Secretary Gatchalian said.

The DSWD chief also pointed out the importance of the dialogue to provide 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,” Secretary Gatchalian noted.

Through this dialogue, 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.

The DSWD chief also expressed gratitude to the ASEAN Intergovernmental Commission on Human Rights (AICHR) for spearheading the event, as part of the Philippine government’s continuing initiative to promote the rights of children in ASEAN since 2018.

The dialogue, which will end on Friday (June 23), is being spearheaded by the AICHR in partnership with the CRC Asia and the United Nations Children’s Fund (UNICEF) East Asia and Pacific Regional Office (UNICEF-EAPRO). #