EAPRO NEWS FROM BANGKOK

EAPRO Consultation Concludes: Violence is Not Inevitable

“Violence is not inevitable but rather an injustice that can be ended by recognizing that peace is a human right and that this responsibility belongs to everyone,” more than 250 delegates proclaimed at the end of the three-day East Asia and Pacific Region Consultation on Violence Against Children (EAPRO), which began June 14, 2005 in Bangkok, Thailand.

Anupama Rao Singh, the United Nations Children’s Fund (UNICEF) Regional Director, urged all delegates to begin the work of putting the recommendations in place immediately rather than waiting for the UN Study on Violence Against Children report to give them direction.

The Regional Consultation is one of nine meetings worldwide that will contribute to a worldwide UN study on violence against children that will be finalized in 2006.

“Everyday, children are exposed to violence in their lives that continues to compromise their right to grow up loved, safe, respected and protected. It also threatens society’s social and economic stability, laying the seeds for larger conflict,” Singh said.

“Yet, the recommendations proposed at this Consultation are doable and demonstrate that this is a problem we can address if we are willing to commit at every level, including the higher echelons of Government, to act now.”

She also stressed that ending violence is an overarching development goal.

After careful deliberation based on experiences, practical examples and existing strategies, the seven working groups developed key recommendations on how to combat and prevent violence in the specific settings where it occurs.

The delegates also agreed on common approaches to combating violence against children, including:

Raise awareness and strengthen capacity:

Parents and families need help to better understand issues of violence against children and to develop non-violent parenting skills. More must be done to educate parents and the public at large by increasing awareness and understanding of child rights.

Review and develop appropriate legislation, policy and guidelines:

Although all countries in the region have some legislative mechanisms in place for the protection of children against violence and abuse, the delegates agreed that often enforcement of child protection legislation tends to be hampered by factors such as the lack of clear definitions on the types of violence and maltreatment specified in relevant laws, lack of implementation guidelines and resources for enforcement.

Improve programmes, services and standards:

With countless children unable to benefit from preventative and protective services, the delegates urged the development of better programmes, services and standards to manage cases of abuse and violence.

More effective monitoring and evaluation:

The delegates agreed that there is a lack of comprehensive and systematic data collection, reporting and monitoring systems. Given the sensitivities of violence against children at the individual, family, community and state levels, there is limited information and quantitative data. While studies and research have been undertaken to address many aspects, typically they are limited in scope, either by geographical or population coverage.

Making children active partners in all efforts to combat violence:

Child participation is crucial to the success of putting in effective mechanisms to combat violence. Children need to be included in researching, decision-making, implementation and evaluation processes. The participation needs to be done at all levels.

“In seeking to make progress toward achieving this goal, we will need to involve not only governments and their development partners, but all members of society, including civil society and the private sector,” noted Pracha Maleenond, Minister of Social Development and Human Security Ministry of Social Development and Human Security from the Royal Government of Thailand, as he officially closed the Consultation.

~ Source: UNICEF, June 16, 2005

This buletin is produced quarterly by the APPA secretariat

Latest Bulletin: Aug-Sep-Oct 2005 Vol 43, No 15

(will be updated soon)

May- June-July 2005

Vol. 42, No 14

Content:
EAPRO Consultation Concludes: Violence is Not Inevitable

Aircraft Noise May Affect Children’s Learning

WHO/UNICEF Global Immunization Strategy That Aims to Avert Millions of Deaths

New HIV/AIDS data reveals gravity of situation for children in Asia and the Pacific

‘A’ Rating For 95 Percent Attendance Ratio In Malaysia

Baby clues to obesity

Leading Paediatricians In Asia

Dr. Afroze Ramazan Sherali

Reports from member societies

Activities Of The Philippine Pediatric Society

Indian Academy Of Pediatrics Activities

Updated 11th January 2006