Safe Digital Space For Children

October 2024

In today’s rapidly evolving technological landscape, the protection of children’s digital rights, especially ensuring their safety online, has become a growing concern. As children engage with digital spaces from an early age, safeguarding their rights is essential for maintaining a healthy and thriving society. This policy paper delves into key challenges affecting children in the digital world, including privacy concerns, cyberbullying, online harassment, exposure to inappropriate content, cybersecurity threats, and overall online safety.

In alignment with the Digital Cooperation Organization (DCO) Strategic Roadmap 2030, this paper focuses on creating safe digital spaces for children, and highlights roles and responsibilities of diverse stakeholders towards protecting children’s digital rights. Based on extensive primary and secondary, and inputs from the DCO’s Digital Space Accelerators (DSA) global roundtables, the report provides policy recommendations aimed at ensuring a safer online environment for children, particularly within the DCO Member States. The paper uses the United Nations Convention on the Rights of the Child (UNCRC) definition of a child, referring to individuals under the age of 18, to guide its recommendations.

The findings of this report emphasize the importance of developing holistic national strategies towards protecting children’s digital rights and of a comprehensive, human rights-based approach to fostering an inclusive, safe, and secure digital economy for children.