Press Release: AICHR-ACWC Training Workshop on the UN Convention on the Rights of the Child, 13-14 July 2017, Singapore
The AICHR-ACWC Training Workshop on the UN Convention on the Rights of the Child (UNCRC) jointly organised by the ASEAN Intergovernmental Commission on Human Rights (AICHR) and the ASEAN Commission on the Promotion and Protection of the Rights of Women and Children (ACWC) was held from 13 to 14 July 2017 in Singapore. It was supported by the Embassy of the Federal Republic of Germany in Singapore and the Embassy of Switzerland in Singapore.
The UNCRC, adopted by the UN General Assembly in 1989, is the most widely ratified international human rights treaty in history, including by all ASEAN Member States.
The workshop brought together AICHR and ACWC Representatives, representatives from ASEAN Member States and civil society organisations working on implementation and reporting for the CRC to share experiences, learn from international and regional experts, and discuss current developments and emerging trends in children’s rights.
The workshop featured sessions with regional and international experts on the UNCRC. Ms Wivina Belmonte, Deputy Regional Director of the UNICEF East Asia and Pacific Regional Office, Ms Yasmeen Shariff, former Vice-Chairperson of the Committee on the Rights of the Child, and Ms Laurence Andre from the Treaty Body Capacity Building Programme of the UN OHCHR Regional Office for Southeast Asia gave participants insight into the implementation, challenges, and monitoring and reporting processes for the UNCRC.
All ten ASEAN Member States also shared their respective experiences and challenges in implementing and reporting for the UNCRC. Participants agreed on the importance of integrating children’s rights into the policy-making process, capacity-building, monitoring and data collection, strengthening inter-agency coordination at the national level and inclusive participation of stakeholders, including children.
This is the first joint collaborative project between the AICHR and ACWC to promote and protect the rights of children in the region, and is a demonstration of the growing positive synergy between the two bodies.