 |
| Representatives from countries and international organizations attended the second ASEAN Information Technology Forum on Child Online Protection. (Photo: NA) |
The second ASEAN ICT Forum on Child Online Protection was held (November 23-24) in Bangkok, Thailand. The event was hosted by the Ministry of Digital Economy and Society, Ministry of Social Development and Human Security of the Kingdom of Thailand and the ASEAN Commission on the Promotion and Protection of the Rights of Women and Children (ACWC) of Thailand. The Forum was also coordinated by the ASEAN Secretariat and the United Nations Children's Fund (UN).
Vietnam sent an interdisciplinary delegation to attend the above event.
Aiming to promote coordinated and meaningful action in efforts to prevent and combat all forms of online child exploitation and abuse, within and outside the ASEAN region, the Forum attracted more than 260 delegates from 10 ASEAN member countries and 3 guest countries including China, Mongolia and Papua New Guinea.
Realizing the top-level statement
According to statistics, Asia has the highest rate of children using the Internet globally and by 2022, about 73% of young people aged 15-24 in Asia- Pacific will be regularly online. Along with the many benefits for children, there are also online risks, including the risk of exploitation and sexual abuse.
In the six ASEAN member states, between 1 and 20% of children using the Internet reported having been sexually exploited and abused online. In Viet Nam, the Prevent Harm study jointly conducted by UNICEF, Interpol and ECPAT and published in 2022 found that among the 15-17 age group, 2% had received money or gifts in exchange for sharing sensitive images or videos of themselves with others.
Faced with this alarming situation, at the 35th ASEAN Summit in November 2019, the Association's leaders adopted the Declaration on Protecting Children from All Forms of Online Exploitation and Abuse . To realize this Declaration, ASEAN member states developed and adopted the ASEAN Regional Action Plan on Protecting Children from All Forms of Online Exploitation and Abuse in October 2021.
The plan includes seven key areas: Strengthening the legal and policy framework; strengthening law enforcement capacity; establishing specialized units; providing comprehensive child protection and support services; collecting data and conducting research; developing educational programs for students, parents and teachers; and promoting the role and responsibility of information technology businesses – all aimed at better protecting children from risks and dangers in cyberspace.
In particular, priority area 7 of the Plan emphasizes the important role of cooperation with information technology (IT) businesses in preventing and responding to online harms, and calls for businesses, governments and stakeholders to meet annually to identify and discuss solutions.
This forum is one of the important activities of Sector 7 to implement the above Plan.
The forum aims to provide a positive opportunity for discussion and collaboration between the regional IT industry, governments and other key stakeholders to ensure children are safe online.
 |
| The Vietnamese delegation participated in the second ASEAN Information Technology Forum on Child Online Protection. (Photo: NA) |
Guidance on completing the national legal framework
At this forum, ASEAN released the Guidelines for Completing a Harmonized and Comprehensive National Legal Framework to Prevent and Respond to All Forms of Online Child Sexual Exploitation and Abuse, ensuring evidence-based principles; legal reform must be “anticipatory”: the wording of the law must be sufficiently open and comprehensive, to ensure that it can cover emerging issues that may arise in the years following the law’s adoption; and create linkages with other legal improvement activities related to gender-based violence.
This Guide also introduces a hierarchical/classified approach to laws on prevention and response to all forms of online child sexual exploitation and abuse to consider the different stages of current legislation of ASEAN Member States:
Level 1: Comprehensive substantive provisions in criminal law and criminal procedure on all forms of online child sexual exploitation and abuse are key to ensuring that child victims of all forms of online child sexual exploitation and abuse are fully protected when they engage with the criminal justice process.
Level 2: Relevant criminal procedural provisions to protect victims and enable victims to seek redress through civil law; obligations for IT businesses providing digital products, platforms and services.
Level 3: Regulations relating to the financial sector and other related sectors.
In addition, at this Forum, ASEAN also announced the ASEAN Guidelines on the provision of protection and support services to all child victims and children in contact with the law as a result of online child sexual exploitation and abuse.
The guide introduces the principles of multi-sectoral and integrated service delivery; rights-based, gender-sensitive, age-appropriate and inclusive service delivery; victim-centred approach; non-discrimination; 'Do no harm'.
In addition, the guidelines also introduce a minimum basic service package including: Case management; human resources for social service provision; family-based care; provision of mental health and psychosocial support services; Health and medical care; Justice and law enforcement; removal of child sexual abuse material; compensation; education and vocational training; social protection.
For offenders of online child sexual exploitation and abuse who are children, a child rights-based approach and a focus on reintegration and rehabilitation should be applied.
Source
Comment (0)