Opening remarks - ITU Council Working Group on Child Online Protection (CWG-COP)

On behalf of the Secretary-General it is a pleasure to welcome you here today to the thirteenth meeting of the Council Working Group on Child online Protection.

Thank you all for joining us – in the room and those online. We appreciate your support and commitment to addressing this important issue.

Since the chairman, Dr. Hashem, could not make it today due to an unexpected commitment, I want to thank Ambassador Elayne Whyte Gomez for opening the meeting today in her role of vice-chair of the Group. Unfortunately, the Ambassador, will not be able to stay long with us due to other pressing engagements, and so we are very grateful to Ms. Eugenia Devincenzi, of the Argentina administration for agreeing to take over the Chair of the meeting.

Ladies and gentlemen,

With an estimated one in three of all Internet users in the world today below the age of 18, and with the growing availability of technologies and new services, children and young people are facing increased safety risks when going online.

ITU, through its role as the sole facilitator of WSIS Action Line C5 - Building Confidence and Security in the use of ICTs - has the responsibility to play its part in the global effort to protect children online, in particular through this Working Group on Child Online Protection which is open to all, and allows for the exchange of best practices and the development of cooperative partnerships. 

It is generally recognised that the implementation of the UN's Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs) will rely heavily on ICTs, but this will depend very much on the level of trust and confidence people have in the technology, in particular to empower young people with the information and tools to become actively engaged citizens. It is essential therefore that children be protected online and learn safe use of technologies.

Action, however, requires understanding. Understanding the emerging technological trends so as to inform investments and actions by governments, law enforcement agencies, and other institutions to provide this protection.

This group with the participation of many experts in the field, can help this effort, and so I wish you a successful and productive meeting.