Four FORUT partners endorse the Joint APAPA-SEAAPA Statement on Reducing and Preventing Alcohol Harms in the Asia Pacific and Southeast Asia Regions.
The Concerned for Working Children (CWC India), Association for Promoting Social Action (APSA, India), Healthy Lanka Alliance for Development (Sri Lanka) and Child Workers in Nepal Concerned Centre (CWIN-Nepal) attended the Joint APAPA-SEAAPA Regional Meeting from 8-10 October 2025 held in Bangkok and online.
On the last day of the regional meeting, the organizations in attendance drafted and reached a consensus on a joint statement from both alliances. The Asia Pacific Alcohol Policy Alliance has opened the statement for endorsement by civil society organizations working on alcohol policy advocacy in both regions. At least 20 organizations, experts and advocates from both regions have signed the statement.
The “Joint Statement on Reducing and Preventing Alcohol Harms in the Asia Pacific and Southeast Asia Regions” highlights the Alliances’ shared policy priorities and calls for decisive action by the WHO, governments, and regional bodies to strengthen evidence-based alcohol control policies to protect public health.
The statement endorses and supports the WHO SAFER Initiative, proposes interventions under “SAFER Plus”, as critical development and public health priorities. The statement also puts forward a regional agenda for civil society organizations working on alcohol policy advocacy in both regions.
The Joint Regional Statement has been submitted by ADIC Sri Lanka on behalf of the Alliances to the WHO Southeast Asia Regional Committee Meeting last week (SEARO). The Asia Pacific Alcohol Policy Alliance has also submitted the statement to the NCD Office of the WHO Western Pacific Regional Office (WPRO).
