Conclusion of workshop on Human Rights Council Resolution on Child Safety in Digital Environment
In Sana’a, the workshop on the United Nations Human Rights Council resolution issued on 10 July 2024 regarding child safety in the digital environment concluded.
The workshop, organized by the National Human Rights Authority with the support of the Ministries of Justice and Human Rights, Communications , Information Technology, and in cooperation with the Public Telecommunications Corporation, brought together 30 participants representing 20 governmental and civil society entities. It aimed to highlight the digital risks facing children.
It also sought to strengthen legal, social, and technical protection for children amid rapid digital transformation and the growing openness to cyberspace.
The closing sessions began with a working paper presented by the Information Security Officer at the Ministry of Communications and Information Technology, Engineer Sadiq Al-Soufi, who reviewed the most prominent digital threats that children may face, stressing the need to develop more effective protection tools at the technical, awareness, and regulatory levels.
The workshop also addressed the role of the family and society in protecting children from the risks of the digital environment in a paper presented by the Advisor to the Ministry of Justice and Human Rights for Training , Qualification Affairs and Head of the Technical Committee for Juvenile Justice, Amal Al-Riyashi. She emphasized building family and societal awareness, strengthening positive supervision, and enhancing institutional partnership.
A working paper on enhancing national awareness of the harmful impact of the digital environment on children was also presented by the Advisor to the National Human Rights Authority, Adnan Al-Nahari, who stressed the importance of raising public awareness of digital risks and strengthening community-based child protection.
The working group also reviewed the key parameters for developing a national plan to protect children from the risks of the digital environment, as part of building an integrated national vision that keeps pace with emerging challenges.
The workshop concluded with an open discussion session among participants, during which observations, proposals, and constructive ideas were exchanged to produce practical outcomes that enhance child safety in the digital environment , support national prevention and protection efforts.
In his closing remarks, the Head of the National Human Rights Authority, Ali Taisser, stated that the workshop represented an important milestone in developing a more aware and serious national approach to the challenges posed by the digital environment for children. He noted that the discussions reflected a clear understanding of the seriousness of this issue and its legal, educational, and social dimensions.
He praised the efforts of participants and supporting and organizing entities, highlighting the workshop’s outcomes and proposals as a foundation for developing more effective policies and measures to protect children in the digital space.
For his part, the Director of Organizations and Civil Society Affairs at the Authority, Rami Al-Yousfi, stated that the workshop successfully achieved its objectives by opening a responsible and in-depth discussion on the risks of the digital environment for children , producing practical recommendations to support national efforts and strengthen institutional protection frameworks.
He noted that the serious engagement of participants reflected growing awareness of the sensitivity of this issue, emphasizing the importance of building on the workshop’s outcomes to move towards a safer digital environment for children.
The working papers presented in the workshop concluded with a set of recommendations aimed at establishing a more effective national framework for protecting children from digital risks and violations. These included calls to issue a dedicated law on child digital safety, establish specialized prosecution offices , courts, expand reporting , litigation mechanisms to address cybercrimes and mitigate their impact on children.
The recommendations also stressed the importance of reviewing existing legislation and aligning it with the draft law on information technology crimes, and utilizing the workshop’s outcomes to further develop it, alongside preparing an executive regulation that keeps pace with digital developments and child protection requirements in the digital environment.
They also called for integrating digital safety and cybersecurity into educational curricula, implementing awareness programs targeting children, families, parents, enhancing skills in information verification, data protection, appropriate responses to online abuse and cyberbullying.
The workshop further recommended developing complaint platforms and reporting centers for cybercrimes, establishing a specialized regulatory body to monitor violations , respond rapidly to reports, providing safe technical applications , tools that support parental control and limit inappropriate content for children.
The outcomes emphasized the importance of protecting children’s data, obligating digital companies and service providers to ensure a safe digital environment, strengthening the role of family and society in positive supervision, regulating children’s internet use, intensifying awareness campaigns, and building an effective national partnership to protect children in the digital environment.
At the conclusion, participants and contributors to the success of the workshop were honored in appreciation of their efforts and active participation.
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