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On December 22, 2025, the Global Network Seminar was held, and the seminar welcomed Ms. Yoko Kobayashi, Chief of Child Protection at the UNICEF Lao PDR Office.

Under the theme “Protection of Children from Violence,” Ms. Kobayashi discussed various forms of violence faced by children, drawing on cases from both Laos and Kenya.
In her lecture, Ms. Kobayashi introduced different forms of violence affecting children, including domestic violence, abuse in schools and communities, and risks in online environments. Drawing on concrete examples from Laos and Kenya, she explained the mechanisms and contexts in which these forms of violence occur. She also outlined UNICEF’s ongoing efforts to protect children from violence, including prevention strategies, the strengthening of child protection systems, and the provision of support services for children affected by violence. In particular, she highlighted the importance of collaboration among various stakeholders, including government institutions, schools, families, and local communities, in building effective systems for protecting children.

A total of 50 students participated in the seminar. During the question-and-answer session, participants raised questions from diverse perspectives, including how community-based child protection systems can be developed, how responses to child protection issues differ according to cultural and institutional contexts across countries, and the role of schools in the early detection of violence. The discussion provided an opportunity for active exchange between the speaker and participants. The seminar offered a valuable opportunity to deepen participants’ understanding of the diverse forms of violence faced by children through concrete examples from Laos and Kenya, while also reflecting on the roles of UNICEF, schools, and local communities in protecting children from violence.