Children’s rights issues including mental health, discrimination and online abuse were raised during a briefing on 16 September in Bangkok ahead of Thailand’s upcoming review by the United Nations, according to a Facebook post from the Embassy of Sweden.
Swedish Ambassador to Thailand Anna Hammargren hosted the meeting at the Swedish residence earlier this week, bringing together children and young people from communities across Thailand with Save the Children Thailand, Amnesty International Thailand and the Convention on the Rights of the Child Coalition for Thailand.
Among the issues discussed were children’s right to participate and express their views, mental health among children and young people, discrimination linked to sexual orientation and gender identity, the rights of children in Indigenous communities, and abuse and violence online.
The meeting was held ahead of Thailand’s Universal Periodic Review (UPR), a UN process in which the human rights situation of every UN member state is examined. Other countries can use the process to make recommendations to the country under review.
The briefing allowed children and young people to present their experiences and recommendations directly as Thailand prepares for the review.
Sweden’s role in hosting the discussion reflects its continued engagement with human rights and children’s rights issues in Thailand.
