The Kingdom of Saudi Arabia participated today in an event titled "On the Family and the Protection of Children's Rights in the Digital Environment" held in Switzerland, on the sidelines of the 52nd session of the U.N. Human Rights Council (UNHRC). The event was organized by the Gulf Cooperation Council (GCC) and the permanent missions of Egypt, Bangladesh, Russia, Mauritania, and China to the United Nations in Geneva. The Secretary General of Saudi Arabia's Family Affairs Council, Maymouna Al Khalil, stressed the importance of finding immediate solutions to the challenges posed by the high use of digital means among children, highlighting the Council's development of the national framework for child safety on the Internet, which aims to provide a safe and child-friendly cyberspace. She addressed the widespread use of digital technology among children in the Kingdom, stressing the importance of measures to protect children on the Internet, and pointing to His Royal Highness the Crown Prince's adoption of two global initiatives to enhance protection in cyberspace in 2020: one to protect children, and the other to empower women in cybersecurity. Al Khalil indicated that the first initiative focuses on developing best practices, policies, and programs to protect children while using the Internet, which includes crimes or enticement with deviant ideas, or extremist and terrorist ideology that poses a threat to countries and societies, in addition to personal crimes such as forgery and private data theft. At the national level, she said the Council has developed a multisector strategy to realize the full potential of children, from health to education, entertainment, and physical safety in cyberspace. She added that the framework is in line with international standards, focusing on four goals: to empower children and youth to resist harm; reduce their exposure to it; ensure the existence of effective response systems, whether online or offline, to address the challenges children face; and evaluate interventions to ensure the effectiveness of intervention methods. Moreover, she pointed out that the Advisory Committee for Childhood in the Kingdom, which consists of children aged between 11 and 17 years from various backgrounds, aims to provide an opportunity for children to discuss their issues and needs and express their opinions.
