MoCIS and UNICEF: All children should have access to a safe digital worldToday, December 11, the Ministry of Communications and Information Society (MoCIS) and UNICEF in Romania launched The State of the World’s Children 2017: Children in a Digital World. UNICEF’s first comprehensive look at the different ways digital technology is affecting children’s lives and life chances, the report identifies dangers as well as opportunities. “In this digital
world, we need to make the most of the benefits the Internet has to offer each
and every child, including those living in rural areas, while limiting the
dangers children may be exposed to. Consequently, digital policies, practices
and products should better reflect children’s needs, perspectives and voices. For
this reason, the UNICEF report and the CERT-RO [Romanian National Computer Security
Incident Response Team] guide which also outlines
measures for avoiding the perils we are susceptible to online are both important,”
said Mr. Lucian Șova, the Minister of Communications and Information Society,
at the launch of the report. The UNICEF report explores the benefits
digital technology can offer disadvantaged children, including those growing up
in poverty or affected by humanitarian emergencies. These include increasing
their access to information, building skills for the digital workplace, and
giving them a platform to connect and communicate their views. “The Internet
was designed for adults, but it is increasingly used by children and young
people whose lives and futures are increasingly affected by digital technology.
Collective action – by governments, the private sector, children’s
organizations, academia, professionals, families and children themselves – can
help level the digital playing field and make the internet safer and more
accessible for children,” said Pieter Bult, UNICEF Representative in Romania,
at the launch of the report. According to the report, 1 in 3 internet
users worldwide is a child, 71 per cent are
online compared with 48 per cent of the total population. However, 3
out of 5 African youth are offline, compared to just 1 in 25 in Europe. Thus, around one third of the world’s
youth – 346 million – are not online, exacerbating inequities and reducing
children’s ability to participate in an increasingly digital economy. The report also examines how the
internet increases children’s vulnerability to risks and harms, including
misuse of their private information, access to harmful content, and
cyberbullying. The ubiquitous presence of mobile devices, the report notes, has
made online access for many children less supervised – and potentially more
dangerous. Practical recommendations to help guide
more effective policymaking and more responsible business practices to benefit
children worldwide include: ·
Put
children at the centre of digital policy. ·
Teach digital literacy to keep children informed,
engaged and safe online. ·
Protect children from harm online – including abuse,
exploitation, trafficking, cyberbullying and exposure to unsuitable materials. ·
Leverage the power of the private sector to advance
ethical standards and practices that protect and benefit children online. ·
Safeguard children’s privacy and identities online. ·
Provide all children with affordable access to
high-quality online resources. At the launch of the UNICEF report, CERT-RO presented a parents’ guide to children’s safety online. The guide includes a set of rules and safeguards for avoiding dangers in the digital world. About
UNICEF in Romania UNICEF
is on the ground in Romania and other 190 countries and territories to promote
children’s right to survive and thrive, from early childhood through
adolescence. In Romania, UNICEF works with the Government, the Parliament, the
local authorities, the civil society, the private sector, national and
international partners, and the mass media, to provide all children with access
to quality early education and school, protect adolescents and monitor child
rights, ensure social protection and leverage resources for children. UNICEF is
funded entirely by the voluntary contributions of individuals, businesses,
foundations and governments. About CERT-RO CERT-RO is a public institution responsible
for preventing, analysing, identifying and reacting to incidents affecting
cyber infrastructures of public utility or information society services.
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