With the ASEAN Community established on December 31, 2015, this year’s event takes places features commitments on promoting and protecting children’s rights and enhancing social welfare.

The bloc also aims to build a friendly community which is close to children and where they can share and benefit from common values, contributing to constructing a people-centred and socially responsible community.

With the above-mentioned goals, Vietnam themed the forum ‘One ASEAN, One Vision for Children’.

Along with preparations for official activities taking place from March 10 to May 10, Vietnam launched a contest on drawing pictures and composing messages on the 2025 ASEAN Vision in order to communicate information about the bloc and its vision for children in the region.

The contest attracted millions of children and adolescents from ASEAN member countries and encouraged them to share their viewpoints and expectations for the ASEAN Community. An award ceremony and an exhibition of entries will be held as part of the forum from June 20-23.

During the four-day forum, regional child representatives from ages 12 to 18 from 10 ASEAN member countries will discuss matters of concern, including countering children trafficking in ASEAN; child protection in the cyber environment; prevention of violence against children, and ASEAN children facing climate change.

They will send a recommendation or joint statement of ASEAN children to ASEAN Ministers in charge of social welfare and development.

Since 2010, the forum has been one of major activities in the rotary of responsibilities of ASEAN member countries in the social welfare and development channel.

It is organised biennially and hosted in rotation among the member countries alphabetically to hear children’s voices, facilitating them to express their viewpoints and convey their messages to officials and ministers in charge of social welfare and development in ASEAN.

Nhan Dan