SRSG moderates HRC side event on "The Rights of the Child & The Guiding Principles on Business and Human Rights - Focus on ICT and elimination of sexual violence"

Tuesday, 15 September 2015 - 1:00pm

SRSG Santos Pais will moderate a cross-regional panel of high level experts in the fields of public policies, ICTs and children’s rights aiming at the empowerment and protection of children from sexual abuse and exploitation through information and communication technologies (ICTs). 

The event is co-organized with the Government of Belgium and will count on the participation of HRR Queen Mathilde, Queen of the Belgians as key-note speaker.

The event will inform the upcoming Human Rights Council annual full-day child rights debate devoted to the question of “information and communications technology and child sexual exploitation held in March.

This event is therefore a particularly timely and strategic occasion to raise awareness of important child protection concerns associated with the use of new technologies, to learn about positive experiences and to identify opportunities to accelerate progress in this area.

By building on existing efforts, the event will explore more specifically the intersection between the public and private sector roles and responsibilities in  preventing and responding to sexual abuse and exploitation of children through  ICTs and  in ensuring a safe, inclusive and empowering digital environment for children.

The high-level panel will elaborate on the following key questions:

·        How can public and private actors operate the internet in a way that empowers children and promotes children’s rights, including the right to protection from violence, to freedom of expression and to participation without discrimination?

·        How to foster a sentiment of trust and shared responsibility conducive to effective and sustainable public-private partnerships?

·        How to stimulate the industry to develop common principles, standards and processes to prevent and respond to on line child sexual abuse and exploitation? How can impact of measures be assessed?

·        How can we promote a constant and fruitful dialogue and cooperation between the on-line and ICT industry and other key stakeholders?

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