Child representatives from six countries in Great Mekong Sub-region are meeting with the governments to share their views on trafficking and migration.

Young people from Cambodia, China, Laos, Myanmar, Thailand and Vietnam representing over 5,000 youth from their countries are meeting in Phnom Penh, Cambodia, from 27-30 April for the Regional COMMIT Youth Forum (CYF) to share their experiences and achievements in preventing human trafficking and unsafe migration in their communities.

As young people play an important role in countering human trafficking, this forum will provide a platform for them to share their recommendations with governments.

“This selected group of youth, having witnessed or experienced the issues within their communities, will then develop recommendations for government on how to best support and maximize positive impacts that young people can have in the fight against human trafficking”, said Warankana Mutumol, Save the Children’s Child Protection Specialist.

The Coordinated Mekong Ministerial Initiative against Trafficking (COMMIT) Process is a six-country government process includes the governments of Cambodia, China, Laos, Myanmar, Thailand and Vietnam.  The CYF theme for 2015 focuses on the role of young people in actively supporting the government’s implementation of the fourth Sub-regional Plan of Action (SPA-IV). The young delegates will meet with government officials and ministers during the COMMIT Senior Officials Meeting  and the Inter-Ministerial Meeting, to share their own commitments for local action, present their recommendations, and make a case for government’s support for prevention activities carried out by young people. 

The COMMIT Youth Forum, originally known as the Mekong Youth Forum (MYF), was established in 2004 as an initiative of a coalition of children’s rights and anti-trafficking organizations.

The transition from the Mekong Youth Forum to the COMMIT Youth Forum reflects the increasing integration of youth participation in national and regional anti-trafficking efforts.

The Regional COMMIT Youth Forum is endorsed by the six COMMIT governments and organised and supported by child rights and anti-trafficking organisations and bodies – Save the Children, IOM X, World Vision, Terre des Hommes Netherlands and UN-ACT.

### 

For more information, please contact:
Songporn Leelakitichok
Communications and Advocacy Coordinator
Save the Children Thailand
Email: bea.leelakitichok@savethechildren.org