The ITU Regional Office for the CIS Region, in collaboration with the Ministry of High-Tech Industry of the Republic of Armenia and the Union of Armenian Operators, continues to actively collaborate on the Child Online Protection (COP) programme, launched by ITU in collaboration and with the support of the National Cybersecurity Authority (NCA) of the Kingdom of Saudi Arabia in 2021. By utilizing an integrated approach to facilitate dialogue between government agencies and the industry, as well as supporting the development of online safety skills among educators, parents, and children themselves, significant progress has been made in creating a safer digital environment for the younger generation. This article highlights the key results of the ongoing work on the implementation of the ITU Global COP programme in the country and emphasizes the importance of safeguarding children online and the necessity of collective efforts.
Empowering educators, parents, and students In the first half of 2023, the trainings aimed at informing and preventing risks and threats to children online, which started back in 2022, continued. According to the results of this year, 280 teachers and parents, as well as 65 schoolchildren (39 girls and 26 boys), have been trained on COP theme conducted by the country team, including the ITU National Coordinator, the Head of the Personal Data Protection Agency, an IT security trainer, and a psychologist. The trainings consisted of two parts. The first part was dedicated to the localized
ITU COP Guidelines for parents and educators in the Armenian language. Participants were introduced to the potential risks to which children are exposed online and given practical advice on how to ensure safer behavior online. The second part focused on the importance of and approaches to protecting personal data on the Internet. Additionally, during the trainings, National Coordinator Kristine Gyonjyan presented educational materials and the OnlineSafety.am distance learning multimedia course, that help teach children the necessary skills to navigate responsibly in the digital world, raise awareness of online risks, and promote critical thinking in children.
An educational video for childrenThe ITU has initiated the production of a multimedia awareness-raising video summarizing basic Internet safety rules. The video is approximately 2 minutes long and serves as an effective tool to teach children responsible online behavior in a visually engaging manner. The
educational video was widely disseminated on local TV channels, social media, websites of telecommunication operators, and other targeted platforms. With an audience of over 23,000 people, it has significantly increased the overall awareness among children and their environment regarding the safety of everyday activities involving phones, computers, and other gadgets. The video is also accompanied by a sign language translation.
As part of this phase of the implementation of the ITU Global COP Programme in Armenia, an extensive online safety survey was conducted with the participation of 7,805 schoolchildren aged 7 to 18. The aim was to gain an understanding of children's Internet usage, identify existing problems, and assess their knowledge of online threats. The National Centre for Educational Technologies of the Ministry of Education, Culture, and Sports actively disseminated information about the survey to all 1,440 schools in Armenia, ensuring broad participation and comprehensive data collection.
The results of the survey will play a crucial role in shaping policies to protect children online.
Roundtable
In February 2023, in partnership with the
Ministry of High-Tech Industry of the Republic of Armenia and the Union of Operators of Armenia, a roundtable discussion was held on the topic of COP. The roundtable took place on the occasion of World Safer Internet Day, with the main objective of fostering constructive dialogue among stakeholders, formulating a cohesive joint action plan, and presenting the progress achieved in the implementation of the ITU Global COP Programme in Armenia. The roundtable fostered cooperation and resulted in the following decisions:
ITU initiatives in Armenia demonstrate commitment to ensuring the protection of children on the Internet. We are grateful for the support of our partners in conducting trainings for educators, parents, and schoolchildren, carrying out research among children of different age groups, developing multimedia products, and fostering stakeholder involvement in addressing the overarching challenge of COP. These efforts play a significant role in establishing a safer digital environment.
For further information regarding the achievements in Armenia regarding COP, please refer to this
link.
For additional information on the implementation of the ITU Global Programme on COP in the CIS Region, please visit this
link.
