Queen Suthida and Queen of Sweden speak out against child sexual abuse

"I'm very touched and proud of Thailand. I have never been to any conferences that include all sectors together in one place,” Queen Silvia said. 

“I know exactly that all Thai children will be in the good hands of their Queen to handle child protection in Thailand," the queen added.

Queen Silvia of Sweden

"Ensuring children's well-being and safety is a fundamental responsibility that we recognise,” Queen Suthida said. “Children are our most precious resource. They should be able to grow and thrive in a nurturing and safe environment. Every child has the right to live, the right to be loved, the right to be happy, the right to education, the right to play and laugh, and the right to develop and grow up in the right way," the Thai queen said.

Queen Suthida of Thailand

The conference was organised by the World Childhood Foundation and SafeguardKids Foundation.

The summit featured a child protection exhibition called "A journey through the shadows of Child sexual abuse". It demonstrated the haunting pain of children forced into prostitution, key notes on the current situation and progress in combating child abuse in Thailand, discussion panels and the signing of a memorandum of understanding (MoU) by the Interior, Justice, and Social Development and Human Security ministries. The MoU on protection of Thai children from online and offline sexual exploitation aims to set new standards and foster zero tolerance for child exploitation to ensure Thai kids are well-protected.

Queen Suthida and Queen Silvia arrived at the ESCAP Hall at around 9.45am. The Swedish queen gave an opening speech before the Thai queen delivered an address advocating the protection of children.

They listened to the reports from Paula Guillet de Monthoux, secretary-general of the World Childhood Foundation, and Chale Woodthanan, secretary-general of SafeguardKids Foundation.

"Today marks a great day for the children of Thailand as two queens speak about children's rights. This is the first time in the history of the world to have such a royal gathering, for a charity project aiming to rescue children from sexual abuse and slavery," said Chale.

According to de Monthoux, Internet connectivity and technological development have brought wonderful opportunities but also provide easy access to millions of children and allow new forms of abuse. We need a robust and child-friendly legal framework to stop this serious crime and help victims of social abuse. For Instance, the police investigation should not be a process that makes young victims relive the trauma, she said.

"Today and every single day children are being exploited and abused. It is happening all over the world in my home country, Sweden, and here in Thailand," she added.

The World Childhood Foundation was founded by Queen Silvia in 1999 to reach and support children at risk around the world. The foundation's focus is on protecting children from sexual abuse as well as helping those who have already fallen victim, with a concentration on girls and young mothers. 

SafeguardKids Foundation, established in 2013, is an organisation in Thailand that protects and combats violation of the rights of children and the youth, both physically and mentally, especially the sexual abuse of children. The foundation pushes for the enactment of laws that impose severe penalties on offenders who possess pornographic media, engage in online deception and other behaviour related to child abuse.