The Ministry of Communications and Information Technology (MCIT) has participated in a session on Internet dangers for children, organized by the National Council for Childhood and Motherhood (NCCM) of the Ministry of Health and Population. It has been attended by representatives of national agencies and institutions and the United Nations Children’s Fund (UNICEF).
The significance of working together to combat online child abuse was discussed during the session. This is in addition to the draft of the national strategy on child online protection, which is aimed at curbing the threats children face online and building a national defense system in line with the Egyptian constitution and the best international practices.
The session highlighted MCIT efforts, in cooperation with state institutions, the private sector, and civil society organizations, in building Digital Egypt and an interactive, safe digital society. MCIT has been adopting a citizen-centric digital approach; it works to prepare individuals and institutions to cope and deal safely with modern technologies and IT tools through digital literacy and training activities.
Several international experiences were showcased during the session, in addition to the cooperation plans between MCIT and NCCM to protect children online. The session also explained MCIT initiatives for promoting digital literacy and digital and financial inclusion among citizens, especially children and youth, nationwide to achieve a safe digital integration.
MCIT also builds capacity and promotes digital literacy, especially for adults and children in the villages targeted within the Decent Life presidential initiative. The aim is to bridge the digital gap between rural areas and cities and empower citizens to use modern technology.
To prepare people for digital transformation, MCIT has been carrying out the digital citizenship and online protection initiative and is preparing to launch a platform in coordination with concerned institutions and NCCM. Children and adolescents, through the platform, will learn how to deal with the threats they face online. The platform will also help raise awareness of the rights, responsibilities, and opportunities of living, learning, and working in a digital world where one can innovate in safe, ethical, and legit ways, while having the necessary tools for online protection.
Recommendations were made during the session, including the need to collect data on children using the Internet and playing online games, in terms of age, gender, governorate, and usage, and the number of children facing online threats. The session also stressed the need to raise awareness of Child Helpline 16000, include Internet and video game dangers among its services, and follow up and analyze complaints received.
Attendees at the session agreed to prepare an action plan that defines the role of concerned authorities, including launching a campaign on the risks children face as they use the Internet or play video games. They also discussed ways to sustain the campaign while creating suitable content for target groups, conducting field studies on potential risks, and examining response to curb threats. The campaign shall include studies on enhancing response and leveraging and applying international expertise in this area in a way that suits Egyptian society.
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وزارة الاتصالات وتكنولوجيا المعلومات-مصر
