ITU Telecom World 2009 In Review 2009 Geneva 5-9 October –– What can be done to improve the tracking and prosecution of pedophiles or to keep them away from sites which children use? –– Is there a role for child-friendly safe zones and should governments be involved in constructing them? –– What other threats are children facing on-line? Summary of debate At the beginning of the session, the Secretary-General of the ITU, Dr Hama-doun Touré highlighted an extraordinary achievement, the publication of the Child Online Protection Guidelines. He offered his personal thanks to every-one who was involved in this process. He mentioned that it was clear at the launching of the initiative, that a global approach needed to be taken, dealing with this global issue. It depended not only on the good will of governments and international organizations, but also on the private sector and the NGO’s in a big way. These guidelines are a blueprint that needs to be adapted to local conditions. There is a need for active support in raising COP on the UN agenda and a resolution on the table at the next general assembly. This is one of the most important things that our generation has: to protect our children. It has to be taken seriously. When the cyber security issue first emerged on the global agenda, it became very political. There is a very fine line between security, policy and other issues. But we can not politicize security, especially not the security of our children. This will be the first step in our global cyber peace. We have to avoid cyber wars – and we have seen from the conventional wars, that the best way to win a war is to avoid it in the first place. During the debate the panelists gave a picture about the steps that were taken in Serbia, where the government is very engaged to solve these critical issues and about the situation in Malaysia, where on top of the content issues there are literacy issues as well, as parents do not speak foreign languages. 130 Forum Summary Report