CCA General Secretary urges Asian churches to increase efforts against child trafficking

Programme Review and Programme Direction

Two key deliberative sessions during the 15th CCA General Assembly are the Programme Review and Programme Direction sessions.

The Programme Review and Programme Direction sessions will both be conducted in three groups relating to the CCA’s programme areas, namely, (i) General Secretariat (GS), (ii) Mission in Unity and Contextual Theology (MU) and Ecumenical Leadership Formation and Spirituality (EF); and (iii) Building Peace and Moving Beyond Conflicts (BP) and Prophetic Diakonia (PD).

Assembly participants will have the option to join one of three groups for both the Programme Review and Programme Direction sessions. For the sake of coherence, the assigned group will remain the same for both sessions.

General Secretariat

The General Secretariat oversees the coordination of programmatic, administrative, and financial activities of the organization. The GS comprises various departments such as church and ecumenical relations, relations with ecumenical partners, finance, administration, and communications, which provide crucial support and services for the implementation of programs and contribute to the overall functioning of the CCA.

Programmes: Relations with member churches and councils, ecumenical partners; advocacy at the United Nations; ecumenical responses to emerging issues in solidarity; income development and finance; and communications.

Mission in Unity and Contextual Theology (MU) and Ecumenical Leadership Formation and Spirituality (EF)

Under the MU programme area, the CCA accompanies Asian churches to strengthen their mission and witness in multi-religious contexts, revitalise and nurture church unity and the Asian ecumenical movement, and develop contextual theological foundations.

Programmes: Asian Movement for Christian Unity (AMCU); Congress of Asian Theologians (CATS); Asian women doing theology in the context of wider ecumenism; contextualisation of theology in Asia and ecumenical theological education.

The EF programme area focuses on nurturing and developing ecumenical leaders in Asia. The programme aims to enhance spiritual formation and theological understanding, enabling people to actively engage in ecumenical dialogue and collaboration.

Programmes: Ecumenical Enablers’ Training in Asia (EETA); Asian Ecumenical Institute (AEI); Youth and Women Leadership Development; Ecumenical Spirituality and Nurturing of Contextual Liturgical Traditions; Asia Sunday

Building Peace and Moving Beyond Conflicts (BP) and Prophetic Diakonia and Advocacy (PD)

The BP programme area is dedicated to promoting peace, justice, and reconciliation in Asia’s diverse contexts. Through training, advocacy, and dialogue, the programme addresses the root causes of conflicts, empowers communities, and fosters sustainable peacebuilding initiatives.

Programmes: Pastoral Solidarity Visits; Churches in Action for Moving Beyond Conflict and Resolution; Young Ambassadors of Peace in Asia (YAPA); Ecumenical Women’s Action Against Violence (EWAAV); Eco-Justice for Sustainable Peace in the Oikos.

The PD programme area focuses on promoting justice, human rights, and social transformation in Asia. Through advocacy, capacity-building, and raising awareness, the programme addresses systemic injustice, empowers marginalised communities, and advocates for prophetic actions and meaningful change.

Programmes: Human Rights advocacy; Migration, Statelessness, and Trafficking in Persons; Asian Ecumenical Disability Advocacy Network; Asian Advocacy Network on the Dignity and Rights of Children (AANDRoC); Ecumenical Solidarity Accompaniment and Diakonia in Asia (ESADA); Health and Healing; Good Governance; Action Together to Combat HIV and AIDS in Asia (ATCHAA).

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30 July 2024

Chiang Mai, Thailand: The Christian Conference of Asia (CCA) General Secretary Dr Mathews George Chunakara, in a statement released today, 30 July, on World Day Against Trafficking in Persons-2024, called on churches in Asia to “sensitise and mobilise their communities and maximise their resources to save children from the inhumane conditions of human trafficking.”

The theme for World Day against Trafficking in Persons-2024 is "Leave No Child Behind in the Fight Against Human Trafficking”. This theme aims to raise awareness of children's heightened vulnerability to trafficking and stimulate urgent action to stop child trafficking.

The General Secretary said, “The abuse, exploitation, and trafficking of children are a blatant disregard for human dignity and must be categorically denounced.” He encouraged Asian churches to provide adequate support for victims of child trafficking and to create safe spaces where children can grow up without fearing exploitation and abuse.

Dr Mathews George Chunakara also stated, “As we are reminded of the words of St. Paul: ‘Take no part in the unfruitful works of darkness, but instead expose them’ (Ephesians 5:11), it is imperative that we join efforts to challenge the structures and policies that enable human trafficking to go undetected.”

According to the United Nations Office on Drugs and Crime’s (UNODC) 2022 Global Report on Trafficking in Persons, the share of children among detected trafficking victims has tripled, while the proportion of boys has increased five times over the past 15 years. Globally, one in every three victims detected is a child.

The CCA has prioritized the issues of human trafficking since 2016 and has organised several regional consultations to increase awareness and help CCA member churches and councils respond effectively to increasing levels of human trafficking in Asian countries.

The full text of the CCA General Secretary’s Statement on World Day against Trafficking in Persons-2024 can be found below: