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[14 November 2007] - More commitment from business, coordinated action in developing countries, and better protection for freedom of expression are needed in the fight for online safety, according to child protection NGOs. The statements were made at the Second Meeting of the Internet Governance Forum (IGF), which is currently taking place in Rio de Janeiro, Brazil. Children’s organisations said they regretted so few industry representatives and freedom of expression advocates were present. John Carr the Chair and spokesperson for Children’s Charities in the UK said: “There is no necessary contradiction between the desire to protect children online and the desire to protect free speech online” Delegates said they recognised the enormous value of the Internet for children and young people, but are increasingly seeing how they are at risk from inappropriate contact, content and excessive commercialism online. UN Secretary General Ban Ki-Moon earlier made a statement on the importance of protecting children online at the opening of the session. An industry representative emphasised the need for open dialogue around the regulatory measures being undertaken. Workshops highlighted the work of NGOs and their collaboration with industry and government on the issue. They are working together to create self-regulatory frameworks which respond to public concerns regarding the risks and harms experienced by children. However, they said such initiatives are limited to a few developed countries and only a small number of industry stakeholders. This signals that the value of such partnerships in shaping policies and programmes has yet to be recognised, they said. David Butt, an ECPAT Board member and legal expert on child abuse cases said: “The broad consensus across civil society, industry and government on the need to protect children from sexual exploitation online is of paramount importance. It provides a great opportunity for progress, but the challenge is for all sectors to build on this consensus constructively and comprehensively.” Margaret Moran a member of Parliament in the UK and Chair of EURIM said: “Industry self regulation is desirable but it must have government support. At the same time legislative initiatives must be kept broad and flexible to respond to fast changing technologies”. About the meeting The meeting will discuss five thematic areas: critical internet resources, access, diversity, openness, security, as well as analysis of emerging issues. In particular the focus is on two areas which impact most directly on children: firstly, measures promoting access to the Internet for all children that are universal, affordable and linguistically and culturally relevant; and secondly, ensuring that internet access is accompanied by more far reaching measures concerning the protection and safety of children online. Members of child protection organisations are contributing to a number of key sessions at the IGF meeting including; Stephen Balkam CEO of the FOSI (Family Online Safety Institute) in Washington said: “We are increasingly recognising the shared responsibility we all have for ensuring that children can use the internet and mobile services safely. Education in school and for parents is crucial but this has to be complimented by better tools and services from industry players as well as appropriate government oversight .” Carmen Madrinan, CEO at ECPAT, said: “Whilst we welcome the recognition of the importance of child protection online, we need to ensure that we go beyond words and realise the practical implications for protecting children’s rights and providing safer environments and secure services for young people online. It is crucial that the voice of the Child is consistently heard.”
The Internet Governance Forum (IGF) is a multi-stakeholder collaboration between governments, private sector, civil society and academic and technical communities. It aims to work towards the realisation of a secure and stable internet as envisioned by the Tunis Agenda for the World Summit on the Information Society (WSIS).