On 2 October 2017, child rights champions from around the world gathered at the United Nations Building in New York City to share their collective actions and innovative solutions for achieving the Sustainable Development Goals for Children. World Childhood Foundation USA organized this high-level meeting with the Swedish Permanent Mission to the United Nations and Know Violence in Childhood.
Safeguardkids.org is proud of the participation of representatives from Southeast Asia who voiced the actions and projects underway in this region to safeguard children from sexual abuse and exploitation. The speakers raised issues regarding the taboo still surrounding child sexual abuse, lack of public awareness and thus political will, the need for harmonized laws and minimum sanctions across the region, and utilizing cross-cutting strategies and technology as innovative solutions. Speakers from the ASEAN region include the following:
ASEAN
- Mr. Isra Sunthornvut, Secretary-General, ASEAN Inter-Parliamentary Assembly
Malaysia
- Datin Paduka Seri Hajjah Rosma Mansor, wife of Malaysia’s Prime Minister Datuk Seri Najib Tun Razak
- Prof. Emerita Tan Sri Dr. Sharifah Hapsah Syed Hasan Shahabudin, Vice Chancellor of Universiti Kebangsaan Malaysia
Thailand
- Dr. Kittipong Kittayarak, Executive Director, Thailand Institute of Justice
- Hon.Pol.Gen. Chatchawal Suksomjit, Member of the Thai National Legislative Assembly
Other notable speakers with multilateral experience working against child sexual abuse in the ASEAN region include Ms. Margaret Akullo, UNODC, who formerly managed Project Childhood and now manages Global Action against Trafficking in Persons and the Smuggling of Migrants (GLO.ACT).
For the full three-hour video recording of the meeting, please visit the UN Web TV page on “Achieving the Sustainable Development Goals for Children: Collective Actions and Innovative Solutions“.
