Awards for children’s rights programs to be presented at the ABU General Assembly

The quality of entries for this year’s Child Rights Awards demonstrate there are many talented producers making programs about important issues in the Asia-Pacific.

More than 40 entries from 13 countries are competing for the 2012 Child Rights Awards, organised jointly by the ABU, UNICEF and the Cable and Satellite Broadcasting Association of Asia (CASBAA).

ABU Secretary General Dr Javad Mottaghi says there is no shortage of talented and committed producers in the region.

“The issue of children’s rights is an important one for the Asia-Pacific,” Dr Mottaghi says. “I think the people who produce the programs do it because they are driven by a passion for children’s rights, and it is good to recognise excellence in this field and encourage others.”

The winner will be announced at the ABU Awards Ceremony on 16 October during the Union’s General Assembly in Seoul, Korea, from 11-17 October.

The Asia-Pacific Child Rights Award have been given annually since 2001 for the best television program produced in the region with a focus on children’s rights.

Programs both for children and about children are eligible and can cover any children’s rights issue. Entries include documentaries that detail the plight of children, dramas that help break down stereotypes and discrimination and animations that teach and entertain.

Entries this year have come from Afghanistan, Australia, Bangladesh, Cambodia, China, Hong Kong, India, Indonesia, Japan, Malaysia, New Zealand, Philippines, Republic of Korea and Singapore.

Dr Mottaghi says the Child Rights Awards will be one of the highlights of this year’s ABU General Assembly.

“It is always important to celebrate the reason our more than 225 members do what they do,” he says. “That is to make programs that make our world a better place.”