MANILA, Philippines – From July 28 to 30, 2025, Child Rights Coalition Asia (CRC Asia) marked a significant milestone in regional collaboration by hosting the 10th Asia-Pacific Partnership Meeting of Child Rights Coalitions and Networks (APPM) in Novotel Manila Araneta Center, Quezon City, Philippines. Anchored in the theme, “A Decade of Action: Advancing Children’s Rights in a Changing World,” the gathering brought together more than 70 child rights advocates, civil society partners, private sector representatives, and international allies across the Asia-Pacific region.
Over the past decade, the APPM has evolved into a vital platform for cross-border solidarity, peer learning, and coordinated advocacy for children’s rights. This year’s meeting came at a time of global transformation—rising isolationism, climate emergencies, technological disruption, and shrinking civic spaces—making the need for collective action more urgent than ever.
Advancing SRHR and Preventing Sexual Exploitation and Abuse
The APPM opened with a discussion on how ensuring access to sexual and reproductive health and rights (SRHR) is central to preventing sexual exploitation and abuse (SEC). Through the Stepping Up the Fight Against Sexual Exploitation (SUFASEC) Program and other regional initiatives, participants shared rights-based, peer-led strategies in schools and in the communities, as well as current efforts to strengthen mental health support for frontline workers.
Updates to the Luxembourg Guidelines were introduced, while participants reflected on recent Australian research into the influence of online masculinities on adolescent boys.
Securing Children’s Access to Justice and Remedies
Building on momentum from previous consultations, the session on access to justice emphasized dismantling legal barriers that prevent children from seeking redress.
Distinguished speakers included Prof. Thuwayba Al Barwani, Vice Chair of the UN Committee on the Rights of the Child (UNCRC), who shared the updates and development, including timeline, key concepts, and competing perspectives on UN CRC General Comment No. 27; Lucio Sarandrea, Child Protection Specialist at UNICEF East Asia and Pacific Regional Office, who highlighted good practices and lessons learned across different countries on restorative justice for children; and Atty. Mikiko Otani, who presented the strategic vison for promoting and protecting the rights of the child human rights defenders and areas of cooperation in the Asia-Pacific region.
Protecting Children in the Digital Environment
Technology’s impact on children was another key theme. Findings from CRC Asia’s consultations with children on the digital environment—including #GenAI and #GenZFeelsForReels—highlighted the dual role of digital platforms as spaces for empowerment and risk.
Marie-Eve Nadeau, Head of International Affairs at 5Rights Foundation, discussed the Children and AI Design Code and offered a new benchmark for ethical, child-focused digital development. Samia Pinto, a researcher and digital transformation specialist, presented insights into children’s use of AI companions, while Norman Ng from Google shared approaches to embedding AI into products and services with safety in mind.
Representatives from Tiktok discussed technologies and initiatives to enhance teen safety and explored how civil society can engage with platforms. A panel featuring the Australian eSafety Commissioner, the Australian Child Rights Taskforce, and a UNICEF expert discussed social media age restrictions for children under 16.
Investing in a Healthy and Sustainable Environment
The environmental justice session took a focused approach on public investments in ensuring children’s right to a clean, healthy, and sustainable environment. Discussions addressed the Loss and Damage Fund, practical applications of UN CRC General Comment No. 26, and the intersection of AI and climate advocacy.
Mainstreaming Children’s Rights Across All Sectors
The APPM also featured discussions on integrating children’s rights across governance systems. Updates were presented on the UN Guidance Note on Child Rights Mainstreaming, efforts toward the development of a Fourth Optional Protocol to the CRC, and the importance of investing in the social service workforce and supporting girls’ leadership.
Speakers emphasized the critical need for whole-of-society approaches to child rights implementation.
Looking Ahead
The 2025 APPM reaffirmed that regional solidarity remains a powerful force. As the Asia-Pacific child rights coalitions and network celebrates ten years of partnership, the commitment is clear: to continue building a just, inclusive, and sustainable world with children, for the children—even in a changing world.
