Declaration of the Second Asian Forum on the Rights of the Child 2011
21 November 2011

We, the participants of the Forum, which was organized in Japan when theaccidents that happened in the aftermath of the Great East Japan Earthquake are still inprogress at the nuclear power plant in Fukushima,
Building on the outcomes of the Seoul Forum in 2009,
Aware of the necessity of valuing children’s rights and providing rights-based
support for children even in the situation of disasters and conflicts,
Drawing attention to children at risk without protection by society and states,
particularly a large number of Asian children who suffer from poverty, humantrafficking, child labor, sexual exploitation and physical and mental abuse,
Aware of the importance of supporting children so that all of them canmanifest their potential to the maximum extent in a safe and healthy environment as“competent beings” and for this purpose, respecting children’s views and expanding
opportunities for their participation,
Determined to promote children’s rights in each country and in the whole
region of Asia, on the basis of the Convention on the Rights of the Child (CRC) as thecommon ideal, by developing networks of researchers and experts and in collaboration
with international organizations, governments, NGOs/civil society and other actors,
Have agreed to promote the following initiatives for the realization of theConvention on the Rights of the Child in Asia:
1.

To advocate for the ratification of or accession to the Optional Protocols to theCRC by those States that have not yet done so; and seek for the development andimplementation of comprehensive legislation in accordance with the CRC and its
Optional Protocols as the legal basis for promoting the following child policies.

2.

Bearing in mind the frequent occurrence of natural and human-made disasters inAsia, to promote the adaptation and further development of existing protocols
and guidelines for protecting children’s rights during disasters, in accordancewith the principle of “Children First”; and, for respecting children’s rights in therecovery, rehabilitation and reconstruction processes, including throughcapacity-building, empowerment and engagement of children themselves.

3.

To review national and local policies concerning life and development ofchildren, including energy policies, from children’s rights perspectives, includingthe need to secure the best interests of the child, with a view to restructuring suchpolicies.

4.

To develop and implement policies, legislation and measures such asawareness-raising toward the prevention and prohibition of all forms of violenceagainst children, including abuse and exploitation of children.

5.

To promote the development of mechanisms and systems for advancing theprotection and promotion, monitoring of and reporting on children’s rights at thenational and regional levels, in particular monitoring systems and ombudsperson
systems.

6.

To be involved in child rights-based initiatives for “child-friendlycommunities/neighborhoods”, “child-friendly schools” and “child-friendlyinstitutions” at the national level, while promoting the development of regional
networks for “child-friendly communities/neighborhoods”.

7.

To seek for the advancement of exchange of information and opinions, as well as,
research concerning children’s rights, including children’s own researches;sharing data on and realities of the situation of children; relevant legislation andpolicies as well as innovative initiatives and good practices for children, with aview to realizing children’s rights in the Asian region.

8.

To continue the dialogue through the Asian Forum on the Rights of the Child in
collaboration with researchers and experts, international organizations,
governments, NGOs and civil society and other actors, with a view to further
promoting the above-mentioned initiatives at the national and local levels in theregion.