PHILIPPINES – Please resume selection process for ACWC representatives
2 April 2010 2:47 am

This
statement was
issued on 23 March 2010 by representatives from child rights
organisations across Asia. It was address to Philippines Foreign Affairs
secretary Alberto Romulo, acting secretary Celia C Yangco and several
other government bodies including the Permanent Mission of the
Philippines to ASEAN, Alicia Bala. The groups have requested for the
resumption of the selection process for the Asean Commission on Women
and Children representatives (ACWC). Please read the statement below:

acwc_logo.jpgThis
statement was
issued on 23 March 2010 by representatives from child rights
organisations across Asia. It was address to Philippines Foreign Affairs
secretary Alberto Romulo, acting secretary Celia C Yangco and several
other government bodies including the Permanent Mission of the
Philippines to ASEAN, Alicia Bala. The groups have requested for the
resumption of the selection process for the Asean Commission on Women
and Children representatives (ACWC). Please read the statement below:

We representatives of child rights organizations in Southeast Asia
reaffirm our interest and
commitment towards the establishment of a credible and independent
ASEAN Commission
on Women and Children (ACWC).

We believe that the existence of an ACWC will strengthen the
implementation of national and international child rights standards and
ensure that the rights and best interests of children are considered in
the directions towards building an ASEAN community.

Having an ACWC will provide children and child rights advocates an
opportunity to work closely with ASEAN and governments to implement
programmes and other measures to promote and protect the rights of
children.

We support the ultimate alignment of the ACWC with the ASEAN
Intergovernmental
Commission on Human Rights (AICHR), consistent with Article 6.9 of
the terms of reference
of the AICHR.

A key part of the process of alignment that we want to stress is
the close
consultation and coordination with relevant bodies, and this can
only be done after the
establishment of the ACWC.

We express concern that any form of abeyance in the selection
process for country
representatives will consequently pose impediments towards the
formal establishment of the
ACWC in April 2010.

In this regard, we urge the relevant bodies to resume the conduct
of the selection process and
ensure that the appointment of the ACWC representatives be done in a
transparent and
participatory manner.

The signatories of the statement included:

Ryan V. Silverio Regional Coordinator, Southeast Asia Coalition
to Stop the Use of Child Soldiers
(SEASUCS), Nooreen Shah – Preusser, P.S. The Children
(Malaysia), Muhammad Jailani
Executive Director, Yayasan KKSP Center for Child Rights
Education and Information
(Indonesia), Nguyen Thi Huong, Director, CENFORCHIL (Vietnam),

The statement was endorsed by:

Roldan Gonzales, Executive Director, Gitib, Inc./ Mindanao
Convenors Against Corporal
Punishment (Philippines); Antarini Arna, Director, Children's
Human Rights Foundation (Indonesia)
Yuyun Wahyuningrum, Civil society Expert on ASEAN (Indonesia);
Diena Haryana, Chairperson, Yayasan SEJIWA (Indonesia), Debbie Stothard,
Coordinator, ALTSEAN-Burma; Yap Swee Seng, Director, FORUM-ASIA
(Thailand/ Regional); Atina Gangmei, Programme Coordinator – Women
Programme, Asia Indigenous Peoples Pact (Thailand); Wanee Bangprapha
Thitiprasert, Research and Advocacy for Women Network Peace and Culture
Foundation (Thailand); Roby Alampay, Executive Director, Southeast Asia
Press Alliance (Thailand/ Regional); Asia Pacific Forum on Women, Law
and Development (Thailand/Regional).