Date: February 14, 2021 at 13.00 – 17.30 Thailand time
Virtual event: https://www.facebook.com/Msociety.go.th
Background
The Regional Plan of Action for Protection of Children from All Forms of Online Exploitation and Abuse in ASEAN (RPA COEA) was noted during the ASEAN Summit in Brunei in October 2021. The RPA on COEA has been developed to implement the Leaders’ Declaration on the Protection of Children from all Forms of Online Abuse and Exploitation in ASEAN, adopted during the ASEAN Summit in Thailand in November 2019, for enhanced understanding of and commitment to actions to effectively prevent and respond to online child sexual exploitation and abuse in the AMS.
The development and finalization of the RPA on COEA was undertaken through the leadership of the Royal Government of Thailand, ACWC and SOMSWD in cooperation with relevant ASEAN Sectoral Bodies. Technical support for the development of the RPA was provided by the technical working group comprising representatives of ACWC, SOMSWD, relevant Sectoral bodies e.g. SOMTC, and UNICEF EAPRO and ECPAT International. It also benefited from inputs given by children and young people during the ASEAN’s Children Forum facilitated by the ASEAN Secretariat and CRC Asia coalition. Inputs from wider stakeholders to inform the contents of the RPA were also collected during the 2020 ASEAN Regional Conference on Child Online Protection and the national consultations took place in each of the AMS.
Recognising the inextricable link of violence against children in physical world and digital space, this Regional Plan of Action provides supplementary guidelines to the overall ASEAN Regional Plan of Action on the Elimination of Violence Against Children (ASEAN RPA on EVAC). The RPA on the Protection of Children from All Forms of highlights seven focused areas namely i) Legislative and policy framework; ii) capacities of law enforcement, judicial and legal professional; iii) national specialised investigation unit; iv) victim support services; v) data collection and monitoring, reporting and referral mechanisms; vi) national education programmes and awareness raising initiatives; and vii) engagement with and mobilization of the private sector.
Following the successful notation of the RPA on COEA at the 38th ASEAN Summit, as well as keeping the momentum going, H.E. Mr. Wanchai Roujanavong, Thailand’s ACWC Representative for Children’s Rights and the Ministry of Social Development and Human Security as the focal point of ACWC of Thailand, in partnership with UNICEF EAPRO, ECPAT International and relevant partners, have initiated the captioned launch event. The event serves as the continuation of the project entitled “The 5-year programme of priority actions to implement the Regional Plan of Action on the Elimination of Violence Against Children (RPA on EVAC); a. Regional Plan of Action for the Protection of Children from All Forms of Online Exploitation and Abuse in ASEAN 2021-2025 (RPA on COEA)” which is led by Thailand under the ACWC Work Plan 2021-2025. It will also provide a good opportunity to socialise the RPA on COEA among target participants and stakeholders, as well as to galvanise them into taking action.
Objectives of the launch
Sensitise key AMS and regional stakeholders on the new RPA on COEA in order to accelerate action on child online protection;
Participants
The event is convened by ASEAN and the Royal Government of Thailand, with the support of UNICEF and ECPAT