Seen, Heard—and Forgotten?

Participation by Young People in Southeast Asia, East Asia and the Pacific in Events and Forums Preceding and Following the United Nations General Assembly Special Session for Children, 2002

Abstract

*Focus on Southeast Asia, East Asia and the Pacific | Reports from the Field

This paper reflects on an evaluation of the participation of children from Southeast Asia in international forums where their rights and welfare were discussed between 2000 and 2004. The research concluded that, despite the commitment of organizing agencies, children remained vulnerable to abuse because of a lack of time and resources. In particular, it was noted that children participating in the forums were not representative of the region’s children as a whole, and that there was little in the way of follow-up activities. The result is that children’s participation in international forums remains superficial and event-oriented. Lessons learned from the evaluation were implemented in the participation of children in the Regional Consultation for the UN Study on Violence against Children in 2005, but selection, preparation and follow up remain problematic.