The Association of Southeast Asian Nations (ASEAN) remains strongcommitments to addressing issues that children are facing, especially inconflict situations, said Ambassador Nguyen Phuong Nga, PermanentRepresentative of Vietnam to the United Nations.
Speaking on behalf of ASEAN at the open debate of the UN SecurityCouncil on “Children and armed conflict” in New York on June 18, Nganoted that “last year, 2014, saw unprecedented challenges for theprotection of tens of millions of children in countries affected byconflicts. Children continue to suffer the most, especially given theunparalleled rise of violent extremism”.
ASEANis also alarmed by the rise of abduction as a tactic of war, she said,adding that the association, therefore, “shares the view that acomprehensive approach is needed in protecting children in armedconflicts, particularly to address the issue of abduction.”
The diplomat also stressed the need to address the root causes ofhardship that children have to bear in armed conflict as well as theimportance of continued efforts by the UN Security Council and theinternational community to handle its impacts on children.
She shared the participants that ASEAN has been stepping up effortsto tackle issues that children are faced with, both at national andregional levels, as well as on institutional and practical areas.
“In 2015, ASEAN’s priority is to strengthen our regional mechanism tomaterialise the high-level commitment to make progress in this issue.The ASEAN Commission for the Protection and Promotion of the Rights ofWomen and Children (ACWC) is now developing a Regional Plan of Actionfor the implementation of the Declaration on the Elimination of Violenceagainst Children (EVAC) as adopted at the 23rd ASEAN Summit in 2014,including through regional outreach activities. ASEAN has also consultedand cooperated closely with UN agencies and mechanisms, includingUNICEF and the Secretary-General’s Special Representatives on relatedissues,” she added.
At the open debate, thecouncil’s member states adopted the resolution 2225 reaffirmingcommitments to carrying out specific measures to protect children inarmed conflict, with the focus on child abduction.-VNA
Speaking on behalf of ASEAN at the open debate of the UN SecurityCouncil on “Children and armed conflict” in New York on June 18, Nganoted that “last year, 2014, saw unprecedented challenges for theprotection of tens of millions of children in countries affected byconflicts. Children continue to suffer the most, especially given theunparalleled rise of violent extremism”.
ASEANis also alarmed by the rise of abduction as a tactic of war, she said,adding that the association, therefore, “shares the view that acomprehensive approach is needed in protecting children in armedconflicts, particularly to address the issue of abduction.”
The diplomat also stressed the need to address the root causes ofhardship that children have to bear in armed conflict as well as theimportance of continued efforts by the UN Security Council and theinternational community to handle its impacts on children.
She shared the participants that ASEAN has been stepping up effortsto tackle issues that children are faced with, both at national andregional levels, as well as on institutional and practical areas.
“In 2015, ASEAN’s priority is to strengthen our regional mechanism tomaterialise the high-level commitment to make progress in this issue.The ASEAN Commission for the Protection and Promotion of the Rights ofWomen and Children (ACWC) is now developing a Regional Plan of Actionfor the implementation of the Declaration on the Elimination of Violenceagainst Children (EVAC) as adopted at the 23rd ASEAN Summit in 2014,including through regional outreach activities. ASEAN has also consultedand cooperated closely with UN agencies and mechanisms, includingUNICEF and the Secretary-General’s Special Representatives on relatedissues,” she added.
At the open debate, thecouncil’s member states adopted the resolution 2225 reaffirmingcommitments to carrying out specific measures to protect children inarmed conflict, with the focus on child abduction.-VNA
