Statement by Mr Mark Capaldi
Deputy Director, ECPAT International, WSIS
CHILD RIGHTS Caucus
16 November 2005
Madam Chair, thank you for this
opportunity to speak on behalf of the Child Rights Caucus
that has been actively contributing to the WSIS process.
As stakeholders, we have been encouraged
with the inclusion of many of the concrete proposals made in
the third preparatory conference in Geneva and here in
Tunis. In particular we note the affirmation of commitment
to incorporation of policies and frameworks for child
protection in ICTs as noted in the Political Chapeau. Also,
promotion of the broad adoption of the Convention on
Cybercrime and the mobilization of appropriate resources to
make available child helplines.
For the most part, cyberspace brings many
benefits – particularly for children, who are the primary
users of new ICT developments. But, new technologies are
also used to facilitate sexual exploitation of children: in
pornography making (international police databases have now
identified more than 1 million images of children subjected
to sexual abuse and exploitation); solicitation of children
online; real-time abuse occurring offline and online
simultaneously; and networking for sex tourism and among
people with an interest in sex with children and trafficking
of children. Increased circulation and easy access provided
by new technology has led to more interest in these
materials, proved by the hundreds and thousands of people
now accessing and downloading these images. Estimates from
the US Federal Bureau of Investigation of annual revenue
generated from child pornography images puts the figure
between $US 3 billion to US $ 20 billion
The agreement to recommend
multi-stakeholder partnerships as defined in the Agenda for
Action is an important step forward and is welcomed by civil
society groups. However, this structure of inclusiveness is
not reflected in the narrow range of action lines that have
been defined for follow up. In this context the Child Rights
Caucus would urge the Summit to consider a follow up
mechanism that would allow an E-Child Action Line category
with a defined moderator/facilitator. This would provide an
appropriate forum to address policy and, research
development (including the establishment of tools to assess
the impact of ICT development on all aspects of child
rights) and promote systems of multi-stakeholder cooperation
that benefit all children.
Madam Chair, this must ensure that the
commitments to children made at Geneva are followed up in
the Tunis Declaration. We are concerned that these last but
important areas on implementation have not been fully
considered. We are confident that it is not too late to do
so. Meanwhile, the Child Rights Caucus will continue to
offer our support so that Tunis Declaration implements the
rights, participation and protection of all children in the
Information Society. We take this opportunity to thank our
hosts the Government of Tunisia and Government of
Switzerland, the organizing agency ITU for facilitating the
participation Child Rights Caucus.
Thank you.
Members of the WSIS Child Rights Caucus
ATUDE, Tunisia – Mr Jameledine Khemakhem,
President du Caucus
Fondation Internationale pour les Enfants
du Monde, Geneva
Association OCAPROCE International,
Cameroun
ECPAT International
Child Helpline International
CRIN
Plan International
Consortium for Street Children
Child Net
NGO Group for the Rights of the Child
Save the Children
SOS
ACCD |