1. The Third Meeting of ASEAN Ministers Responsible for Social Welfare was convened in Manila from 2 to 3 December 1993, preceded by the Third Meeting of Senior Officials for Social Welfare held from 29 to 30 November 1993.
2. The Meeting was attended by H.E. Pehin Dato' Haji Awang Hussain, Minister of Culture, Youth and Sports of Brunei Darussalam; H.E. Inten Soeweno, Minister of Social Affairs of Indonesia; H.E. Dato' Napsiah binti Omar, Minister of National Unity and Social Development of Malaysia; H.E. Yeo Cheow Tong, Minister for Community Development of Singapore; H.E. Sermsakdi Karoon, Deputy Minister of Labour and Social Welfare of Thailand; H.E. Corazon Alma G. de Leon, Secretary of the Department of Social Welfare and Development of the Philippines, and their respective delegations. H.E. Dato' Ajit Singh, Secretary-General of ASEAN and members of his staff were also in attendance.
3. His Excellency Mr. Fidel V. Ramos, President of the Republic of the Philippines, declared the Meeting officially open. In his Keynote Address, the President underscored the importance of exerting efforts to attain social development focussed on children and the family, side by side with economic growth. He noted that family structures vary from country to country and the differences should be respected; however, the value of shared rights and responsibilities of parents should be reinforced and developed.
4. President Ramos stressed that in pursuit of economic development, the capability of the family should be strengthened through the provision of basic services and social safety nets such as primary health care, basic education and literacy. He concluded by saying that scarce resources should be used in accordance with the guiding principle that children should have priority in their use.
5. H.E. Secretary Corazon Alma G. de Leon, Head of the Philippine Delegation, and H.E. Yeow Cheow Tong, Head of the Singapore Delegation were unanimously elected Chairperson and Vice-Chairman, respectively.
6. The Ministers reviewed the implementation of the recommendations of the Second Meeting of the ASEAN Ministers Responsible for Social Welfare held at Kuala Lumpur from 23 to 24 March 1990. They noted with satisfaction the implementation of these recommendations.
7. The Ministers also noted with satisfaction the various regional measures taken to implement the decisions regarding social welfare matters of the Fourth Meeting of ASEAN Heads of Government held at Singapore from 27 to 28 January 1992.
8. The Ministers adopted a Resolution on the ASEAN Plan of Action for Children. The Action Plan is aimed to provide the framework for promoting regional cooperation for the survival, protection and development of the ASEAN Child. It shall be an integral part of the member countries' efforts at improving the lives of the people of the region, especially the children.
9. The Ministers noted that the survival of children is constrained by poverty and the lack of access to basic needs and services. They agreed that the following issues relating to child protection should be addressed:
(a) child abuse, neglect and exploitation including child prostitution, child labor, street children and abandoned children;
(b) alternative family care arrangements for the victims of child abuse. neglect and exploitation;
(c) child trafficking;
(d) inter-country adoption;
(e) special needs of children with disabilities; and
(f) children in conflict with the law.
10. To promote child development, the Ministers further agreed that the following needs must be met:
(a) awareness of the roles of various elements of society as these pertain to child development;
(b) moral and ethical value formation through education;
(c) total development of the child;
(d) recreational facilities;
(e) special needs of the gifted and the child with disability;
(f) parenting skills; and
(g) provision for child care services.
11. To implement the Resolution, the Ministers agreed to pursue, among others, the following priority programmes and projects:
(a) networking with and among law enforcement agencies for the purpose of child protection;
(b) information sharing on the state-of-the-art programmes which provide for the basic needs of children along the lines of food and nutrition, clothing, shelter, health and education;
(c) collaborative research, documentation and programmes on physical and sexual abuse of children, child labor, trafficking of children, children with disabilities and child abandonment; and
(d) regional training of trainers programme for child care service providers and parenting skills.
12. Given the importance that ASEAN attaches to child survival, protection and development, joint and cooperative action among member countries will be undertaken. The ASEAN Secretariat, in coordination with the relevant ASEAN bodies, will mobilise support from various external sources, including the Dialogue Partners and such traditional donor agencies as UNICEF. The ASEAN Secretariat will also undertake new initiatives to develop more funding sources.
13. The Ministers expressed their deep appreciation to the Government and people of the Philippines, particularly His Excellency Mr. Fidel V. Ramos, the President of the Republic of the Philippines, and the Honorable Ms. Corazon Alma G. de Leon, Secretary of the Department of Social Welfare and Development of the Philippines, for the warm hospitality extended to the delegations and the efficient arrangements made for the Meeting.
14. The Meeting was held in the traditional spirit of ASEAN cordiality and solidarity.
