Saudi Family Council, UNICEF, Collaborate to Establish Child Online Safety Framework
Saudi Arabia is taking a significant step towards ensuring the online safety of children through a collaborative initiative between the Saudi Family Council and the United Nations Children’s Fund (UNICEF). The cooperation aims to establish a National Framework for Children’s Online Safety which will be unveiled at the sixth Saudi Family Forum in Riyadh on November 12-13.
Saudi Arabia has been progressively working towards enhancing digital safety, particularly for children.
The collaboration with UNICEF is a part of these ongoing efforts. This initiative is significant as it comes under the patronage of His Excellency the Minister of Human Resources and Social Development, Chairman of the Family Affairs Council, Eng. Ahmed bin Sulaiman Al Rajhi.
Objectives of the Framework:
The framework is aligned with the United Nations Convention on the Rights of the Child, an international treaty safeguarding individuals under the age of 18. It is designed to address key issues related to the digital revolution and empower Saudi families by offering solutions from experts on online safety.
The ultimate goal is to develop a coherent national strategy for ensuring that key stakeholders play their part in keeping children safe online.
The framework comprises 10 distinct initiatives that focus on critical areas like regulations, data protection, and online support procedures for children.
The emphasis is on creating a safe online environment for children, ensuring their digital wellbeing while enabling them to leverage the benefits of the internet for educational and developmental purposes.
UNICEF’s Contribution:
UNICEF is not only a collaborative partner in this initiative but will also contribute significantly to the discourse through two dialogue sessions during the Saudi Family Forum.
These sessions are titled “Protecting Children in the Cyber World” and “The Digital World and Children”, which will be presented by experts from UNICEF and academia.
These discussions are aimed at shedding light on the potential risks and the necessary safeguards required in the digital realm for children.
This initiative between the Saudi Family Council and UNICEF represents a significant step towards fostering a safer online environment for children in Saudi Arabia, reflecting a broader global concern and effort to protect young digital citizens.
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