Zain Group, the regional leader in mobile telecom innovation, along with World Childhood Foundation US (Childhood), co-chaired the Broadband Commission Working Group on Child online Safety, which published the new report titled, Child Online Safety: Minimizing the Risk of Violence, Abuse and Exploitation Online.
The report, a collective effort that draws upon the expertise of the Broadband Commissioners and experts from around the world, was presented at a high-level meeting at the UN, ‘Children & the Digital World: Threats and Opportunities’.
The Founder of Childhood, Her Majesty Queen Silvia of Sweden, in her keynote address at the UN meeting said: Broadband connectivity brings many benefits to children, including access to education and entertainment, it also has a dark side to it as it exposes children to major risks and threats online as well as different forms of violence and exploitation, such as child sexual exploitation and abuse, bullying and radicalization, among other critical vulnerabilities. The new Child Online Safety report gathers the available evidence on the scale and nature of the risks and harms children face online, and provides actionable recommendations on how to prioritize children’s online safety.
The report was developed under the leadership of Dr. Joanna Rubinstein, President & CEO of Childhood USA, and Zain Group CEO of Operations, Scott Gegenheimer. A key point made in the report is that we need to prioritize child online safety, especially in anticipation of the expansion of the broadband in the developing world where most children live today. All the stakeholders, governments, regulators, operators, Internet service provider, NGOs and civil society and academia have to join forces in implementing common strategies to make the Internet safer for children in order to help prepare future generations to thrive in the digital space.
Commenting on the report, Dr. Rubinstein said: “This report demonstrates the necessity of taking action now and sheds light on how we can take practical steps to address the UN’s Sustainable Development Goal 16.2 calling on ending all forms of violence against children by 2030.” The Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs) adopted in 2015 and the UN Convention on the Rights of the Child – which this year celebrates its 30th anniversary – represent the global commitment to a better future for all, especially to children.
For his part, Mr. Gegenheimer said: “Child Online Safety is a topic that is of great importance for Zain and we are committed to playing our key role in addressing this on a global level. Our region has conflicts and challenges that are quite unique compared to other places in the world as well as the highest share of youth in the world, coupled with a rising broadband connectivity rate. It is imperative for organizations which are based in the region, to be at the forefront of the effort to protect the most vulnerable victims both in the physical world as well as in cyberspace.”
Broadband connectivity is a key enabler for children’s future, as it ensures that all children have an equal opportunity to thrive, so that no child is left behind. It also plays a critical role as an enabling component, as well as helping fuel the achievement of all Sustainable Development Goals.