The Philippines urged member-states of the Association of Southeast Asian Nations (ASEAN) to work together to formulate a responsive framework that will address the needs of women and children in conflict and post-conflict situations.
by Roy Mabasa
December 11, 2015
The Philippines urged member-states of the Association of Southeast Asian Nations (ASEAN) to work together to formulate a responsive framework that will address the needs of women and children in conflict and post-conflict situations.
The call was made at the conclusion of the ASEAN Institute for Peace and Reconciliation (AIPR) Symposium on the Plight of Women and Children in Conflict Situations held in Tagaytay City.
“Women and children are the most vulnerable and most affected when fighting erupts,” Social Welfare and Development Secretary Corazon J. Soliman said in her remarks at the symposium. “But they must not be viewed as the weak sectors, because they are not.”
Soliman said children and women are the “potential strongest tools of nations in peace-building, peace-making and peace-keeping.”
“We have the chance to consolidate all the best practices and possible opportunities we can utilize to achieve that elusive piece in development which is peace,” she stressed.
Participants in the symposium also urged ASEAN to support the development of preventive measures to conflict, such as the advancement of a culture of peace and the promotion of moderation in the region.
This, they pointed out, can be implemented through activities and initiatives in education, culture, human rights, and political-security, among others, under the various ASEAN-led mechanisms.
During the two-day symposium, participants also discussed surfacing the plight of women and children in conflict situations; the abuses women and children are exposed to, such as sexual violence, threats to their lives, identity and property, and others; women and children as active participants in conflict resolution and the peace process; and programs and mechanisms to ensure protection and promotion of the rights and welfare of women and children are protected during armed conflict and/or in post-conflict situations.
Those who participated in the symposium included representatives from all ASEAN Member States, including members of the AIPR Governing Council, the ASEAN Inter-governmental Commission on Human Rights (AICHR), and the ASEAN Commission on the Promotion and Protection of the Rights of Women and Children (ACWC).
Philippine Permanent Representative to ASEAN Ambassador Elizabeth P. Buensuceso, who organized the event, suggested that the main recommendations of the conference be forwarded to the various ASEAN mechanisms and fora for possible inclusion in their work programs and plans of action.
The AIPR was established to serve as the ASEAN institution for activities and research projects on peace, conflict management and conflict resolution. The AIPR Governing Council oversees the overall functions and policy direction of the AIPR. It consists of senior representatives from all 10 ASEAN Member States, the Secretary General of ASEAN, and an Executive Director to be appointed by the members.