Violence against children is prevalent throughout the world, including in the East Asia and Pacific region. In recognition of the need for States to work together at a regional level, in 2013 the Association of Southeast Asian Nations (ASEAN) Heads of State signed a Declaration on the Elimination of Violence Against Children in ASEAN.
In 2016 the ASEAN Regional Plan of Action on the Elimination of Violence Against Children (RPA-EVAC) came into force, setting out the commitments of Member States to protect children from violence and respond to the needs of child victims across twelve key priority areas. The RPA-EVAC applies to all ASEAN Member States (Brunei Darussalam, Cambodia, Indonesia, Lao PDR, Malaysia, Myanmar, Philippines, Singapore, Thailand, and Viet Nam) and covers the years 2016-2025. This study provides a baseline for the twelve priority areas for the first five years of the RPA-EVAC.