The development of the ASEAN Guidelines for Addressing Child and Forced Marriage within the Context of Trafficking in Persons builds on the challenges identified during a series of regional forums hosted by the ASEAN Commission on the Promotion and Protection of the Rights of Women and Children (ACWC). These forums were supported by key UN agencies, including the United Nations Children’s Fund (UNICEF) and the United Nations Population Fund (UNFPA), as well as Plan International, focusing on Child, Early, and Forced Marriage (CEFM). The first South-East Asia forum in 2019 established a foundation for regional discussions on this critical issue. The second forum, conducted in the aftermath of the COVID-19 pandemic, examined the connections between child and forced marriage and adolescent pregnancy, highlighting the necessity for a comprehensive approach that involves governments, civil society, local leaders, families, and children. The third forum, co-organised by Plan International and ACWC Indonesia, empowered adolescent girls and proposed recommendations for a regional framework to support ASEAN’s commitment to ending violence against children, particularly concerning child marriage.
In light of this, ACWC has sought support from the Australian Government through the ASEAN-Australia Counter-Trafficking program (ASEAN-ACT), under the Joint Multi-Year Project led by ACWC Indonesia, launched in June 2021. Among its key objectives, this collaboration aims to develop the ASEAN Guidelines for Preventing and Addressing Child and Forced Marriages within the Context of Trafficking in Persons, providing a vital framework to combat these interconnected issues effectively.