TEMPO.CO, Jakarta - Member states of the Association of South East Asian Nations (ASEAN) together with the United Nation Children's Fund (UNICEF) held a forum on children’s rights in a religious and cultural context. Daniel Toole, the UNICEF Regional Director for East Asia and the Pacific said that ASEAN was a region with diverse culture and traditions, and yet some of these practices were harmful towards children.

"Religious and cultural practices create beauty and depth, but they also create problem. For example child marriages and violence against children," he said at Aryaduta Hotel Jakarta on Tuesday, November 18.

However, religious practices are not always detrimental to the children's safety. "Through religion, we are also encouraged to protect our children," said Ahmad Taufan Damanik, the Indonesian representatives for ASEAN Commission for the Promotion and Protection of the Rights of Women and Children (ACWC). According to Ahmad, the dialog aims at eradication of harmful practices towards children and upholding their rights through partnership, especially with religious leaders.

Lenny N. Rosalin, the Deputy Minister for Child Development, said that Indonesia had made a tremendous progress in enforcing children's rights. "We have just amended the law number 23/2002 on child’s protection, it is now 35/2014, and in it you will see many changes including more severe penalties to those who violate the rights of children," said Lenny.

Other than amendment in law to better protect the children, Toole mentioned that countries in ASEAN have made great improvements that enhance the children’s wellbeing. As compared with 1990, 60 percent more children can now live past their fifth birthday, 16 percent more have access to improved sanitation and nearly 90 percent more have access to improved sanitation.

The ASEAN forum took place on the 25th anniversary of the ratification of the Convention on the Rights of the Children in UN General Assembly. It was also attended by the newly appointed Women's Empowerment and Child Protection Minister Yohana Susana Yembise.

AMANDA SIDDHARTA