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ESCAP and Uppsala University launched a joint project in January 1998 on "Strengthening national human resources development capabilities through training of social service and health personnel to combat sexual abuse and exploitation of youth in the Greater Mekong Subregion". The project involves the six countries of the Greater Mekong Subregion: Cambodia, China (Yunnan Province), Lao People's Democratic Republic, Myanmar, Thailand and Viet Nam. ESCAP acted in response to Resolution 53/4 which calls for the "Elimination of sexual abuse and sexual exploitation of children and youth in Asia and the Pacific." In addition, ESCAP, as the regional arm of the United Nations for economic and social development in Asia and the Pacific, has the requisite international mandate, core staff and country-level linkages to implement this project in the Greater Mekong Subregion. Due to the sensitivity of the project topics and the fact that this project is the first of its kind in many of the countries of this region, ESCAP's multilateral approach is particularly useful in undertaking advocacy and awareness-raising work in the governmental and civil society sectors. The Institute of Maternal and Child Health (IMCH), Uppsala University, Sweden brings technical expertise to the project as it is an institution with international standing which has undertaken pioneering research and other related work in the field of "children in especially difficult circumstances" (CEDC) and international child health. Furthermore, IMCH has had extensive experience and expertise in curriculum development and delivery of training for social service and health personnel with methodologies designed to rehabilitate and protect youth and children in especially difficult circumstances. As a result, in 1998, the first year of the project, ESCAP identified and established links with the national coordinating organizations (NCOs) in each participating country. The CEDC Expert from IMCH then developed the methodology and provided training for conducting research on the status of sexually abused and sexually exploited youth in each of the countries of the Greater Mekong Subregion. In 1999, ESCAP continued collaboration with the NCOs in organizing the National HRD Workshops on Sexual Abuse and Exploitation Among Youth in each Greater Mekong Subregion country, and the CEDC Expert from IMCH prepared training materials for the ESCAP HRD Course for Psychosocial and Medical Services for Sexually Abused and Sexually Exploited Children and Youth based on the country research reports and the input of the participants at the aforementioned National HRD Workshops. In addition, ESCAP and the CEDC Expert from IMCH jointly developed pilot project proposals with officials from each NCO in order to implement selected recommendations from the country research report in two research sites per country during 1999 - 2000. Finally, in 2000, the last year of the project, ESCAP will further strengthen its relationship with each participating government and ask for the selection of three participants from each country to attend the aforementioned course which will be delivered by the CEDC Expert from IMCH. |