Participation in the activities of the International Telecommunication Union (ITU) Child Online Protection Working Group Conference

Project : Digital Citizenship and Online Protection Initiative

On the role of the Digital Citizenship Initiative in enhancing community awareness towards protecting children online, and through interactive online broadcasting technologies; Eng. Hoda Dahroug, Advisor to the Minister for Digital Community Development, and Director of the Digital Transformation Project for Sustainable Development in Egypt, participated as a representative of the Ministry of Communications and Information Technology in the activities of the conference held by the International Telecommunication Union (ITU) Child Online Protection Working Group in Geneva, Switzerland. During her online intervention, the Minister’s Advisor gave a presentation on Egypt’s digital strategy based on promoting innovation, building digital skills, and enhancing digital transformation. She highlighted the national efforts of the Ministry of Communications and Information Technology to enhance children’s online safety, as one of the priorities of the ministry’s social responsibility orientations, especially in light of technological acceleration and its resulting repercussions that affect members of society, and what this requires in terms of exerting efforts to ensure that Egyptian legislation is appropriate for the environment of digitization, innovation, and creativity. She referred to the legal framework for protecting children online in Egypt, which is consistent with the International Telecommunication Union’s guidelines for protecting children online, through articles and laws that criminalize all forms of sexual exploitation of children online, and also enhance the protection of children and adolescents from forms of abuse, harm, violence, blackmail, and bullying online. The Minister's Advisor also presented, during her online intervention, the importance of the Ministry's launch of the (Digital Citizenship and Online Protection Initiative), which contributes to spreading positive digital culture practices effectively in society, especially among children and youth, in order to graduate a generation that is fully aware of rights, responsibilities, and opportunities to live, learn, and work in an interconnected digital world, through which they can work and innovate in safe, legal, ethical, and responsible ways. She presented the initiative's vision and work methodology that targets all those concerned with children, including parents, teachers, and experts, through specialized capacity-building programs, and the importance of adopting interactive learning systems and presenting content related to online protection in innovative ways that invest in technological applications and solutions through four main axes: First, increasing access to specialized knowledge with good content by focusing on successful models in this field, and this is achieved by launching the initiative for the "Waei" platform, which is a gateway for children and adolescents to enhance their capabilities and understanding of the principles of electronic citizenship. Second, building capacities in the field of digital citizenship through specialized training programs that suit the needs of each category, as well as providing direct and online advisory support services. Third, by raising awareness of digital risks and increasing knowledge of cybersecurity technologies, available support and protection channels and means. Fourth, by strengthening local and international partnerships to exchange expertise and build more successful experiences, in cooperation with UNICEF Egypt, the National Council for Childhood and Motherhood, the Ministry of Education and the Ministry of Social Solidarity. It is worth noting that the conference was held within the framework of the recommendations of the International Telecommunication Union's Guidelines for Protecting Children Online for Policymakers, and a number of representatives of partners concerned with online safety and protection and members of the International Telecommunication Union sector participated in its activities, where ideas and visions were exchanged through presenting and discussing good practices and joint cooperation efforts made by local and international entities active in the field of protecting children online.