Under the theme “Advancing sustainable, inclusive, science- and evidence-based solutions for the 2030 Agenda and its SDGs for leaving no one behind in Asia and the Pacific”, the 12th Asia Pacific Forum on Sustainable Development (APFSD) was a critical moment for assessing regional progress on the Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs). For World Vision and our partners, it was also an opportunity to highlight a crucial but often overlooked element of sustainable development—meaningful child participation.

In East Asia, millions of women, girls, and people with disabilities face persistent inequalities that limit their access to essential services and lifelong opportunities. An estimated 43 million children in the region live with disabilities, many of whom are denied education and healthcare. Poverty forces nearly 1 in 10 children into child labour across the Asia-Pacific region. Additionally, 1 in 5 girls are married before their 18th birthday, hindering their education and increasing their vulnerability to poverty.

World Vision’s Call to Action for the 12th Asia Pacific Forum on Sustainable Development

At World Vision, we believe every child has the right to live free from harm. Yet, across East Asia, nearly 60% of children experience violence before they reach adulthood, and millions face the threat of trafficking, exploitation, and neglect. These realities demand urgent action.

Disaster Risk Reduction Programming in Asia and the Pacific

Asia-Pacific is the most climate-exposed and disaster-prone region in the world. As many as 65% of children in East Asia are exposed to multiple shocks which are becoming increasingly frequent, especially flooding, drought, saltwater inundation, and climate-related diseases. Children and families living in poverty are particularly vulnerable, bearing the brunt of these recurrent crises and their longterm consequences.

East Asia is one of the most climate-exposed and disaster-prone region. Up to 65% of children face multiple and increasingly frequent shocks, including flooding, drought, saltwater inundation, and climate-related diseases. Children and families living in poverty are disproportionately affected.

We are a group of young researchers in Thailand who conducted a study to better understand how climate change and disasters affect children in our communities. Through this research, we hope to contribute to the raising of awareness on the impacts of climate change and disasters in our communities. In recent years, our country has experienced severe heat waves due to climate change. This interrupts our daily activities, including our schooling and our families’ livelihood, and has also caused us children and adults alike to experience many health problems.

Paris was selected to join the National Children and Youth Council of Cambodia (CYC) as the youngest representative. Passionate about child nutrition and food security, he led a child/youth-led research project under the hashtag#ENOUGH campaign, aligning with hashtag#SDG3: Good Health and Well-Being. At the 12th The @Asia-Pacific Forum on Sustainable Development (APFSD) in Bangkok, Paris shared his research findings and experiences in two key side events, advocating for inclusive solutions for child health and emphasizing the role of children in achieving the SDGs.

This report presents the voices of 69 children—33 girls and 36 boys—aged 14 to 17 from 10 countries, sharing their experiences and perspectives on migration. Through consultations, they discussed key themes, including the drivers of migration, its impact on children, identity documentation, challenges in civil registration, and recommendations for strengthening civil registration and vital statistics (CRVS) systems. The participating countries were Bangladesh, Cambodia, Laos, Mongolia, Myanmar, Nepal, the Philippines, Sri Lanka, Thailand, and Vietnam.