Türkiye hosted global dialogue to strengthen child protection in the digital environment

Ankara, 23 April 2026 – A high-level international event bringing together global leaders, experts, children and youth representatives to advance child protection in the digital environment took place in Ankara on 21–22 April. Co-hosted by the Ministry of Family and Social Services of the Republic of Türkiye, UNICEF, and the Office of the Special Representative of the Secretary-General on Violence against Children, the two-day meeting aimed to strengthen cooperation and accelerate action to protect children online.

Today, one in three internet users globally is a child. While digital technologies offer unprecedented opportunities for learning, participation and empowerment, they also expose children to serious risks, including online exploitation, cyberbullying, misinformation and privacy violations. Addressing these risks requires a comprehensive, child rights-based and multi-stakeholder approach that bridges online and offline protection while promoting children’s wellbeing and meaningful participation in digital spaces. 

The event provided a platform for countries and stakeholders to exchange experiences, strengthen child rights-based approaches and promote coordinated, multi-stakeholder action across governments, international organisations, the private sector, academia and civil society. It also aimed to contribute to global efforts to end violence against children, including in digital environments, by 2030. 

Children and youth representatives from Türkiye, Sierra Leone and Morocco participated throughout the two days, sharing their perspectives. Participants agreed on the need to place children and young people at the heart of the response, reaffirming the importance of their meaningful inclusion in decisions that affect their digital lives.

The first day of the meeting opened with technical panels focusing on prevention, digital literacy, child protection and responsible technology governance for safe and empowering digital spaces. Experts and policymakers from different regions shared insights on strengthening systems that both protect and empower children in an increasingly digital world.

A high-level opening session attended by Emine Erdoğan, First Lady of the Republic of Türkiye, brought together senior representatives, including Mahinur Özdemir Göktaş, Minister of Family and Social Services of the Republic of Türkiye; Dr Najat Maalla M’jid, Special Representative of the Secretary-General on Violence against Children; and Regina De Dominicis, UNICEF Regional Director for Europe and Central Asia. The session underscored the need for strong global collaboration, anchored in national leadership, to effectively address digital risks affecting children. 

During the Ministerial Roundtable, ministers from 13 countries shared national experiences and discussed ways to strengthen international cooperation to ensure more effective protection and empowerment of children in digital environments.

On the second day, discussions focused on translating policy commitments into action through multi-stakeholder roundtables addressing legal and policy frameworks, the role of the private sector, and opportunities to leverage digital environments for children’s empowerment and participation.

The meeting concluded with a Joint Statement by the co-organisers—the Ministry of Family and Social Services of the Republic of Türkiye, the Special Representative of the UN Secretary-General on Violence against Children, and UNICEF Türkiye—calling for collective action to strengthen accountability, integrated child protection systems, digital literacy, meaningful participation and international cooperation.

It emphasised the need to shift from reactive responses to preventive, child-centred action so that the world—both online and offline—works for every child.

The full Joint Statement can be accessed here.

Throughout the event, a clear message emerged: digital environments must not only protect children from harm, but also enable them to learn, participate and thrive. Ensuring that protection, empowerment and participation go hand in hand is essential to building a safer digital future for every child.