Creating Jobs, Bringing ASEAN Closer to SDGs

The call for impactful and sustainable actions to end child labour is more urgent now, as the world faces a protracted pandemic and an impending global economic crisis. For over a decade, ASEAN has joined forces to combat the worst forms of child labour as part of its broader vision of building an inclusive ASEAN Community.

A child shall have the right to Children have the right to think for The ASEAN Ministers of Social Welfare and freedom of expression; this right shall include freedom to seek, receive and impart information and ideas of all kinds, regardless of frontiers, either orally, in writing or in print, in the form of art, or through any other media of the child’s choice. – Article 12, Convention on the Rights of the A Child

In recent years, Southeast Asia has become an emerging hub for a vibrant contemporary art scene. The rapid growth of the region’s creative industries has given birth to many creative spaces and galleries, providing platforms for local artists to develop and showcase their work. 

As a result of the COVID-19 pandemic, ASEAN Member States have seen school closures impacting more than 152 million children in the Southeast Asian region (Thomas, 2022). School closures and the sudden transition from face-to-face to digital modalities have resulted in significant learning loss and socio-emotional challenges for teachers and learners. 

1.1 trillion hours of in-person learning lost