The regional report on promoting sustainable integration of ASEAN Community through ensuring the legal status of ASEAN women and children was launched on Tuesday. —VNA/VNS Photo

HÀ NỘI — A virtual launch ceremony was held on Tuesday for the regional report on promoting the sustainable integration of the ASEAN Community through ensuring the legal status of ASEAN's women and children.

The event was organised by the Ministry of Labour, Invalids and Social Affairs, the ASEAN Secretariat and the United Nations High Commissioner for Refugees (UNHCR).

Speaking at the ceremony, Deputy Minister of Labour, Invalids and Social Affairs Nguyễn Thị Hà said protecting and promoting the rights of women and children in ASEAN are among commitments of ASEAN high-ranking leaders in official documents of the bloc, serving as guidelines for the activities of ministers and ASEAN agencies.

The establishment of the ASEAN Commission on the Promotion and Protection of the Rights of Women and Children (ACWC) on the sidelines of the 16th ASEAN Summit in Hà Nội a decade ago elevated ASEAN’s commitment via an official and effective human rights mechanism, she noted.

The commission has affirmed its position in various fields, with a number of initiatives to protect and enhance the rights of women and children of ASEAN during the past 10 years.

Ha voiced her hope that the report’s outcomes will act as a significant foundation for country members, agencies and the UNHCR to consider opportunities and challenges in carrying out recommendations on ensuring women and children’s rights, contributing to the sustainable development of vulnerable groups in international and regional integration.

The regional report delivered an overview of the legal framework and enforcement in ASEAN countries for promoting women and children’s rights.

It put significance on birth registration and citizenship issuance, along with the strong commitment of ASEAN members to building a people-centred ASEAN Community.

The outcomes of the report and future co-operation activities with the ACWC were also discussed at the event, with a view to including them in the ACWC work plan for 2021-25. — VNS