Connecting the world and beyond

Child Online Protection Information Session Series in the Pacific

BACKGROUND

Child Online Protection (COP) is a key initiative launched by the International Telecommunication Union (ITU) in November 2008 as part of the Global Cybersecurity Agenda. Endorsed by the United Nations Secretary-General, member states, and numerous international organizations, COP is a global network designed to shield children from cyber threats. It provides legal, technical, and organizational strategies to empower children to harness the full potential of the online world safely. ITU introduced its first set of COP Guidelines in 2009, and as the Internet rapidly evolved, these guidelines were updated and relaunched in June 2020 in all six UN official languages.

In the Pacific region, safeguarding children in the digital space is a shared responsibility involving policymakers, the private sector, parents, carers, educators, and other stakeholders. ITU, with the support of the Government of the Federated States of Micronesia, including the Department of Transportation, Communications & Infrastructure, as well as the Department of Health and Social Affairs, UNOPS and UNICEF, as part of UN Joint SDG Fund Programmes “Accelerating SDG achievement through digital transformation to strengthen community resilience in Micronesia" and “Advancing the SDGs by Improving livelihoods and resilience via economic diversification and digital transformation" was organized a series of Child Online Protection Information Sessions specifically tailored for Pacific SIDS. These sessions was aligned with the broader Smart Villages and Smart Islands initiatives to promote holistic digital inclusion and safety across the region.

OBJECTIVES

To increase stakeholder awareness and understanding of COP and related online safety measures.
To present and discuss ITU's COP products and services, particularly in the Asia and the Pacific region, including specific case studies to inspire replication of successful initiatives.
To facilitate engagement with youth and children's perspectives on COP and gather insights for developing actionable recommendations to enhance online safety strategies in the Pacific region.
To provide actionable recommendations to strengthen COP frameworks across Pacific Small Island Developing States (SIDS).

EXPECTED OUTCOMES

Enhanced awareness and knowledge among participants about COP guidelines and training resources.
Identification of concrete steps and collaborative strategies for improving COP frameworks in the Pacific, driven by regional insights and case studies.
Aligned the objectives of the ITU COP initiative with the broader goals of the Smart Villages and Smart Islands initiative.

SERIES FRAMEWORK

The Child Online Protection (COP) Information Session Series was a multi-event initiative tailored for Pacific Small Island Developing States (SIDS). Each session is designed to address specific aspects of COP, providing stakeholders with practical guidance, best practices, and resources to strengthen COP frameworks across the Pacific. The series aligned with broader digital development goals, including the Smart Villages and Smart Islands initiatives, to ensure that COP strategies reach remote and underserved communities.

The series was structured as follows:
Activity 1: Child Online Protection Training of Trainers (ToT) for Educators from the Micronesian countries in the Pacific (onsite, Pohnpei, Micronesia, 10 and 11 July 2025)
This session equipped educators in Micronesia with the skills needed to implement COP training within their communities, empowering them to become COP trainers and ensuring knowledge is transferred at the grassroots level. To enhance readiness, participants were strongly encouraged to complete relevant ITU COP Academy self-paced courses in advance, providing a solid foundation that enabled the ToT session to focus on practical application and training methods.

Activity 2: Child Online Protection Information Session in the Pacific (virtual, 24 July 2025)
This introductory session provided an overview of COP, introduced ITU's COP Guidelines, and showcased regional case studies. It raised awareness among stakeholders about COP best practices, focusing on the specific needs of children in the Pacific's digital landscape.

Each session was designed to build on the outcomes of the previous ones, fostering continuous dialogue among stakeholders, and ensuring that insights from each event were integrated into actionable strategies for the region. The series also facilitated youth engagement, emphasizing their role in shaping a safer digital environment.

PARTICIPANT PROFILE

Activity 1 was open to educators from Micronesian Countries in the Pacific (Federates States of Micronesia, Republic of Nauru, Kiribati, Republic of the Marshall Islands, and Palau). This includes teachers, ICT specialists, school administrations, school counsellors, non-formal education facilitators, parent communities/representatives, youth-led organizations, and religious leaders.
Activity 2 was open to policymakers, industry professionals, parents, carers, educators, and other stakeholders from diverse backgrounds across the Pacific Small Islands Developing States.

PROVISIONAL AGENDAS

DAY 1 – 24 July 2025

Date and Time Micronesia (Pohnpei) Time (GMT+11)	Activity 1 – PART 1: Child Online Protection Training of Trainers for Educators from the Micronesian countries in the Pacific (onsite)
10:00-10:10	Welcoming remarks Ms. Atsuko Okuda, Regional Director, International Telecommunication Union Regional Office for Asia and the Pacific (virtual) Mr. Edward Albert, Assistant Secretary, FSM Department of Transportation, Communications & Infrastructure Mr. Tapan Mishra, UN Resident Coordinator, Micronesia (video recording)
	Group photo
10:10-10:25 10:25-10:40	Child Online Protection: Micronesian Overview Ms. Esmeralda Mudong, Child Protection Program Coordinator, Federated States of Micronesia Division of Social Affairs Overview of the Child Online Protection Initiative
10:40-12:30	Child Online Protection: Risk, Challenges, and Principles
12:30-13:30	Break
13:30-16:50	Activity: Addressing Child Online Protection Concerns
16:50-17:00	Closing

DAY 2 – 25 July 2025

Date and Time Micronesia (Pohnpei) Time (GMT+11)	Activity 1 – PART 2: Child Online Protection Training of Trainers for Educators from the Micronesian countries in the Pacific (onsite)
10:00-10:30	Presentation by UNICEF Ms. Andrea Glover, Child Protection and Gender-Based Violence Specialist, UNICEF Pacific
10:30-12:30	Becoming a Trainer: Principles and Training Techniques
12:30-13:30	Break
13:30-16:30	Designing and delivering a Training Session on Child Online Protection: Mock teaching activity
16:30-17:00	Feedback Session and Closing

30 July 2025

Date and Time Micronesia (Pohnpei) Time (GMT+11)	Activity 2: Child Online Protection Information Session in the Pacific (virtual)
15:00-15:10	MC: Ms. Rury Demsey, Project Officer, ITU Regional Office for Asia and the Pacific Opening remarks: Mr. Kishore Babu Yerraballa, ITU Area Representative for Southeast Asia and other Member States in Asia and the Pacific Mr. Dirk Wagener, UN Resident Coordinator to Fiji, Solomon Islands, Tonga, Tuvalu, and Vanuatu Mr. Edward Albert, Assistant Secretary, FSM Department of Transportation, Communications & Infrastructure
	Group photo
15:10-15:25	Presentation on "Safety of Young People in Digital Spaces: The Pacific Perspective" by UNICEF Mr. Mark Kavenagh, Director of Evident and Expert of UNICEF
15:25-15:50	Introduction to ITU’s Child Online Protection Guidelines and Resources Overview Ms. Fanny Rotino, Programme Officer, Child Online Protection, ITU (recorded video)
15:50-16:05	Youth Engagement in Child Online Protection Youth perspectives on child online protection and ensuring safe digital environments for children in the Pacific. The session explored insights from children and youth into COP, focusing on the challenges and opportunities in the digital space. Speaker: Ms. Coreen Samuelu, Generation Connect-Asia and the Pacific Youth Envoy from Samoa Ms. Susannah Abouke, a student and youth representative from Nauru Secondary School, Nauru
16:05-16:30	Panel Discussion: Building a Safe Online Environment for Children in the Pacific Key challenges and opportunities in ensuring a safe online environment for children in the Pacific and identifying actionable steps and strategies for moving forward collaboratively. Session Moderator: Ms. Yukiko Muller, President & CEO, Marshall Islands National Telecommunication Authority, Republic of Marshall Islands Panellists: Mr. Michael Copland, Chief Child Protection, UNICEF Pacific Multi-Country Office Mr. Filipe Batiwale, Commissioner, Online Safety Commission, Fiji Mr. Ashutosh Maharaj, Senior Instructor, Fiji National University Ms. Delihda Waltu Eperiam, School Accreditation Specialist, Department of Education, Federated States of Micronesia National Government
16:30-16:45	Interactive Session Presenter: Ms. Rury Demsey, Project Officer, ITU Regional Office for Asia and the Pacific Word Cloud Session: Moderator invited participants to share one key takeaway from the ITU workshop Facilitator read out the words collected for the questions “In one word, how would you describe today’s information session conducted on Child Online Protection in the Pacific?” Platform: Slido word cloud poll
16:45-17:00	Closing and wrap up