Championing Child Participation in ASEAN’s Efforts to Prevent Child Labour and Eliminate its Worst Forms

“Every child deserves the chance to learn, to play, and to grow up in safety, not to work in fear.” This powerful statement, delivered by our youth advocate, marked the successful delivery of children’s recommendations for the Association of Southeast Asian Nations (ASEAN) Roadmap on preventing child labour and eliminating its worst forms by 2035 at the ASEAN Child Labour Roadmap Launching Workshop in Bangkok, Thailand.

The workshop was held on November 18th and 19th in Bangkok, Thailand, co-organised by the ASEAN Secretariat and the Thai Ministry of Labour, with essential support from the International Labour Organization (ILO).

This new ten-year regional framework (2026–2035), recognised by ASEAN Leaders at the 47th ASEAN Summit, commits to accelerating collective action towards ending child labour.

A ‘Call to Action’ from Children and Young People

We were honoured to facilitate this critical platform with meaningful youth participation by ensuring our young representatives could directly address the regional decision-makers and share their perspectives.

Young people are not just beneficiaries of policy-we are partners in shaping it.

— Youth Advocate

A key highlight of the workshop was the presentation by one of our young advocates from Thailand, who delivered a set of essential children’s and young people’s recommendations to ASEAN stakeholders.

These recommendations are the result of collaborative efforts by our dedicated child advocates from Cambodia, Laos, the Philippines, and Thailand. They reflect the children’s and young people’s priorities, their lived experiences, and a deep understanding of the systemic challenges driving child labour in their respective communities.

Alongside her presentation, a video elaborating on the urgent needs of the children was shared with ASEAN Representatives, encouraging policymakers to consider their inputs in policy decisions.

Next Steps: From Policy to Practice

The recommendations were very well appreciated by ASEAN representatives. Following this vital step, we are firmly committed to continuing our advocacy work to ensure that children play a key, meaningful role in the implementation and monitoring phases of this ASEAN Roadmap.

Click here to know more about the workshop.