Workshop promotes rights of women and children in ASEAN

Co-organised by the Ministry of Labour, Invalids and Social Affairs (MOLISA), the ASEAN Secretariat and the United Nations High Commissioner for Refugees (UNHCR), the regional workshop is an activity hosted by Vietnam, within the framework of the ASEAN Commission on the Promotion and Protection of the Rights of Women and Children (ACWC) Work Plan 2021-2025, to continue the efforts of Vietnam and UNHCR, in promoting and protecting the rights of women and children in ASEAN.

Speaking at the opening ceremony, MOLISA Deputy Minister Nguyen Thi Ha, highly appreciated ACWC's efforts over the past 10 years, with many initiatives to increase the voice in the protection and promotion of the rights of women and children in ASEAN, including working closely with UNHCR since 2013, to raise awareness and action of ASEAN Member States, in implementing CEDAW and CRC recommendations, on legal identity and nationality for women and children in the region.

Deputy Minister Nguyen Thi Ha hopes that ACWC would continue to receive more cooperation activities and support, for projects on women's and children's rights in ASEAN and each member country, in the future.

According to the UNHCR 2021 report, the Asia-Pacific region has 2.4 million stateless people residing, accounting for 56% of the recorded stateless population throughout the world.

Therefore, Ekkaphab Phanthavong, Deputy Secretary-General (DSG) of ASEAN for Socio-Cultural Community (ASCC), expressed his hope that, through the workshop, the organising board will find better solutions to overcome obstacles, in securing citizenship for all women and children in ASEAN.

At the workshop, representatives of ASEAN member countries informed others, on the progress of implementing the recommendations made in the Regional Report on promoting sustainable integration of the ASEAN Community, through ensuring legal identity and nationality for women and children in ASEAN, coordinated by Vietnam in the ACWC Work Plan 2016-2020.