11 December 2025 — Victim Support Asia (VSA), in partnership with Victim Support Europe (VSE), successfully hosted its End-of-Year Regional Online Roundtable on Victim Support, gathering nearly four dozen participants from across the globe, with the majority joining from countries across Asia.
A Platform for Regional Collaboration
The two-hour online roundtable brought together a diverse group of stakeholders, including representatives from government agencies, NGOs, victim-led organisations, justice professionals, and regional networks. Participants shared a strong collective commitment to improving the quality, accessibility, and coordination of support provided to victims of crime and trauma.
Discussion topics focused on:
- • Exchanging best practices in victim support and protection
- • Improving cross-border cooperation and policy alignment
- • Strengthening trauma-informed and accessible services
- • Identifying gaps and opportunities for future regional coordination
Participants’ contributions reflected both the unique challenges present across Asia and the shared ambition to work collaboratively toward more coherent and compassionate support systems.
Insightful Presentations and Key Contributions
The roundtable featured expert insights from:
- • Mr. Sung Woon Lee, Founder and President of Victim Support Asia – Opening remarks and regional context
- • Levent Altan, Victim Support Europe – Lessons from Europe and pathways for Asia–Europe cExecutive Director of ooperation
- • Michael O’Connell, Foundation Board Member of Victim Support Asia – Opportunities for strengthening victim support across Asia
Their presentations provided a strong basis for the group’s discussions, highlighting the need for sustainable cooperation, evidence-based practices, and inclusive, victim-centred approaches.
Engagement That Demonstrates Regional Commitment
Throughout the session, participants actively contributed by sharing experiences, raising thoughtful questions, and highlighting practical opportunities for improvement. The high level of engagement underscored a clear and growing commitment across the region to enhance victim support services and to build a more coordinated regional framework.
VSA has shared the presentation materials with all participants and will circulate a summary report highlighting the key points, insights, and recommendations emerging from the discussion.
Looking Ahead
Victim Support Asia and Victim Support Europe express their sincere appreciation to all attendees for their meaningful participation and contributions. The roundtable marks the beginning of a broader regional conversation—one that VSA and VSE, together with participants from the roundtable, look forward to continuing in 2026.
Next year, these organisations and potentially other roundtable participants will convene at the 15th United Nations Congress on Crime Prevention and Criminal Justice in Abu Dhabi, United Arab Emirates, from 25 to 30 April 2026, under the theme:
“Empowering Victims through Justice: A Collective Action to Ensure Protection, Support and Assistance for all Victims of Crime and Abuse of Power.”
The Congress is the world’s largest and most diverse gathering of policymakers, practitioners, academics, intergovernmental organisations, and civil society in the field of crime prevention and criminal justice. It provides a unique forum for sharing experiences, exchanging knowledge, identifying emerging trends, and influencing national and international policies. VSA, VSE, and their partners are excited to build on the momentum of the regional roundtable and further advance victim-centred initiatives on this global stage.
