Child rights advocates and organization from different parts of Asia and the Pacific gathered in Manila, Philippines to participate in Child Rights Coalition Asia’s (CRC Asia) four-day Asia-Pacific Partnership Meeting of Child Rights Coalitions and Networks 2018 (APPM) from June 19 to 22, 2018.

The APPM has been conducted annually by CRC Asia for four years with the support of Save Children and Plan International. The meeting aims to contribute to improve the understanding of children’s rights issues, strengthen advocacy for children, and promote engagements with child rights stakeholders at national and regional levels.

In the last three meetings, CRC Asia tried to set up networks working on child-related issues. This year, it focused on networks working for the elimination of physical and humiliating punishment.

The four-day meeting covered; children’s rights in international migration, children as human rights defenders, surrogacy, child marriage, violence against children (VAC), online child protection, and children’s rights in urban settings.

This year, CRC Asia invited a child speaker to discuss issues of street situations during the session on children’s rights in urban settings. The 2018 meeting also included a learning visit to a hospital-based Child Protection Unit.

With two UNCRC related activities approaching, the APPM also opened the floor to brainstorm possible coordinated efforts to raise awareness and engage in the 2018 Day of General Discussion with the theme, “Protecting and empowering children as human rights defenders,” and developing possible plans for the celebration of the 30th Anniversary of the UNCRC in 2019.

The meeting also gave participants the opportunity to present their organization’s projects and significant achievements.

The APPM is a continuing effort of CRC Asia to facilitate a venue for collaboration and cooperation for national coalitions and networks for the realization of the child.

A side event to the meeting was the launch of the publication of CRC Asia’s two materials on child participation; “Adult First? A Guidebook for Child-Related Professionals and Adults to Learn about Children’s Right to Participation and How to Hear the Voice of Children Clearly” and “The Voices of Children at the 7th High-Level Cross-Regional Roundtable on Violence against Children.”

Read more about 2018 APPM Here.

APPM 2018 Speakers: