Nina calls on the duty bearers to act on the issue of plastics and microplastics to protect children’s health in the ASEAN region

At the AICHR ASEAN Dialogue on the United Nations Convention on the Rights of the Child General Comment No. 26 conducted last October 2-3, 2024 in Makati, Philippines, Nina, a youth activist from Indonesia called on the government representatives and all stakeholders to take urgent actions to protect children’s health from the dangers of plastic and microplastic pollution. “The children’s health is in danger”, Nina said as she shared her story in the fight to protect a river in their community and her country during the dialogue attended by representatives and stakeholders from the ASEAN countries. She also emphasized the increasing impacts of plastics and microplastics on the environment and communities’ health including children’s health.

Nina shared that she started her environmental activism work when she was still 12 and now she is 17. She has participated in protest rallies, and research studies on plastics, and initiated capacity building and organizing of youth in their school and community. She has sent letters to developing country governments like the US, UK, Germany, and the Netherlands asking them not to dump their garbage in her country and receive responses from the ambassadors. She also wrote several times to the Indonesian government but has not received any response.

When sharing her experience in front of the ASEAN Dialogue participants, Nina also brought 2 jars containing baby replicas. Nina explained that currently, babies are under threat from microplastics because recent research conducted by ECOTON in Indonesia has found microplastic contamination in breast milk, placenta, and amniotic fluid. "With plastic reduction regulations, babies can be saved from the threat of microplastics," said Nina.

When asked about the importance of youth participation in addressing environmental issues, Nina said, “Youth voice is powerful and noticeable”. If given more opportunities to share their voice, children can contribute valuable insights, and it would be great if they will also be given more opportunities to contribute in the decision-making processes, she added. The dialogue was organized by the ASEAN Intergovernmental Commission on Human Rights in partnership with Children Rights Coalition Asia. The Dialogue is part of AICHR Philippines’ continuing initiative since 2018 to promote the rights of children in ASEAN that aims to provide a regional platform to collaboratively discuss the

UN CRC by engaging various groups and stakeholders who share the same advocacy with AICHR and the Philippines in promoting child rights in the region. The Dialogue aims to improve the understanding of the ASEAN Member States (AMS) on the realization and implementation of the UN Convention on the Rights of the Child, the most widely ratified human rights treaty body in the world and the first convention ratified by all AMS.