Viet Nam hosts a workshop with ASEAN right protection arm on rights of girl child in Southeast Asia
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The Viet Nam Ministry of Labour, Invalids and Social Affairs (MOLISA) organized a workshop to promote the rights of women and children in ASEAN by advancing the work of key women and child’s rights protection body of Southeast Asia.
Workshop participants
In an effort to further improve and strengthen women’s human rights in the region and support ASEAN human rights bodies in their work, UN Women Regional Office for Asia and the Pacific supported the MOLISA in organizing a ‘Regional Workshop on Promoting the Rights of ASEAN Women and Children through the Effective implementation of the Common Issues in CEDAW and CRC Concluding Observations with Focus on Girl Child’ in Danang, Viet Nam from 20-22 August 2013.
The three-day workshop was organized by the Viet Nam focal point of ACWC in MOLISA with support from UN Women. The activity falls under a regional project on promoting women’s human rights in ASEAN, funded by the Foreign Affairs, Trade and Development of Canada.
HE Mr Doan Mau Diep, Deputy Minister of MOLISA declared the meeting open. Ms Long Sopahly, Vice Chair of ACWC, Representative on Women’s Rights from Cambodia, Mr Jesper Moller, Officer in Charge, UNICEF Viet Nam, HE MS Alicia Bala, Deputy Secretary General for ASEAN Socio-Cultural Community and Ms Roberta Clarke, Regional Director UN Women Regional Director for Asia and the Pacific made the following remarks in the meeting.
ACWC is mandated to support ASEAN Member States in implementation of CEDAW and CRC Concluding Observations. This workshop provides an opportunity to exchange ideas and experiences on promoting women’s human rights and promoting gender equality in the region. The opening remarks highlighted ACWC’s role at regional level through effective and joint partnerships.
Ms. Roberta Clarke, Regional Director for UN Women ROAP highlighted,
“In this meeting, we have the opportunity of talking through the strategies for advancing the work of ACWC as stated in its TOR, especially the mandate to report and monitor implementation of CEDAW, CRC and the Concluding Observations of the Committees. This means we need to think of practical ways for continued integration of the Commission’s work on women’s rights and children’s rights. CRC and CEDAW are amongst the most ratified of international human rights treaties. Both these treaties have constituencies- civil society organisations that have worked hard to ensure normative standards which are universal, which reflect the inter-dependence of all human rights- the political, social, economic and cultural.”
HE Ms. Alicia Bala highlighted,
“Given its mandate to promote and protect the rights of both women and children, ACWC should look into CEDAW and CRC jointly. Women’s rights and children’s rights are interlinked. Girl child is part of a broader spectrum of women’s rights. Hence, fulfillment of children’s rights needs to be analyzed from gender perspective. For example, child’s rights are closely related to the shared responsibilities of women as a parent in ensuring child’s survival, care, development, and education. Mother and child health in the context of Millennium Development Goals is all about the fulfillment of women’s and children’s human rights which are closely related to one another.”
The three day meeting will deliberate various issues of complementarity between the recommendations of the two committees.
CRC and CEDAW are amongst the most ratified of international human rights treaties. Both these treaties have constituencies - civil society organisations that have worked hard to ensure normative standards which are universal, which reflect the interdependence of all human rights - the political, social, economic and cultural.
Over the last years, UN Women has worked closely with ASEAN, its Human Rights Bodies, in particular, ACWC and with its member states and civil society organisations to strengthen awareness of CEDAW and to support implementation of CEDAW-compliant laws and policies.
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