Myanmar delegation led by Union Minister for Religious Affairs and Culture Thura U Aung Ko attended the 22nd ASEAN Socio-Cultural Community Council Meeting (ASCC) and the 27th Senior Officials’ Meeting for the ASEAN Socio-Cultural Community (SOCA) held in Bangkok, Thailand, from 31 October and 2 November.

The Union Minister signed agreements in the “Advancing Partnership for sustainability” the theme developed during the ASEAN chairmanship term of Thailand in 20109, the establishment of ASEAN Socio-Cultural Community centers which will be implemented by Thailand, and the six declarations of the ASEAN Joint Statement on Climate Change to the 25th Session of the Conference of the Parties to the UNFCCC (COP25), the Declaration on the Protection of Children from All Forms of Online Exploitation and Abuse in ASEAN, the ASEAN Declaration on the Rights of Children in the Context of Migration, Bangkok Declaration on Advancing Partnership in Education for 2030 Agenda for Sustainable Development in ASEAN, the Joint Statement on Reaffirmation of Commitment to Advancing the Rights of the Child in ASEAN and the ASEAN Leaders’ Declaration on ASEAN Vaccine Security and Self-reliance.

The ASEAN minister also approved on the Regional Guidelines and Procedures to Address the Needs of Victims of Trafficking in Person, Especially Women and Children, the ASEAN Statement on Promotion of Good Governance and Acceleration of an Agile Civil Service in a Digital Economy, and the Regional Action Plan for the Implementation of the ASEAN Declaration on Strengthening Education for Out-of-School Children and Youth.

They also discussed the ASCC Blueprint 2025, plans for ASCC activities, Plan for Action on Declaration of Culture of Prevention, and the convening of the ASCC fact-finding mission to Timor-Leste and the secondment of ASCC officer to the permanent missions to ASEAN.

The Union Minister and party also attended a joint publication entitled “Children in ASEAN: 30 Years of the Convention on the Rights of the Child.

MNA(Translated by Aung Khin)