• Tuesday, February 27,2024

MOI’s Center for Child Protection Holds “Arab Forum for Child Protection on the Internet”

The "Arab Forum for Child Protection on the Internet" convened via video conference, overseen and organized by the Ministry of Interior’s Center for Child Protection. This event aimed to integrate national and Arab efforts, fostering the exchange of proposals, initiatives, and experiences to bolster child safety online, ensuring a secure digital environment and shielding children from electronic hazards and internet crimes.

Major Ali Al Yamahi opened the session with a welcoming address, emphasizing the forum's significance in exchanging ideas and initiatives concerning child protection within Arab societies and nationally. He underscored the escalating use of new communication platforms and the imperative to devise optimal strategies, means, and mechanisms to safeguard children online.

Following Major Ali Al Yamahi's speech, Major Khaled Mohamed Al Kaabi, Director of the Ministry of Interior’s Center for Child Protection, delivered an opening speech highlighting the forum's importance. This meeting aimed to bolster joint Arab action, coinciding with the World Safer Internet Day held annually in February. He commended participants for their commitment to concerted national and international efforts to combat cybercrime and leverage existing initiatives for children's online protection.

Captain Abdul Rahman Al Nuaimi elucidated the Ministry of Interior’s Center for Child Protection's endeavors and objectives, detailing best practices for safeguarding children online. He outlined the smart reporting system's channels for reporting internet-related abuses against children, along with the Center's swift response mechanisms and awareness-raising initiatives aimed at fostering a safer society.

Further, Captain Al Nuaimi provided a comprehensive overview of the "My Protection" application, detailing its functionalities and communication channels for reporting and addressing incidents. He highlighted efforts to combat sexual exploitation and the Center's collaboration with global and regional entities dedicated to child protection.

Shamma Al Beloushi emphasized elucidating the UAE National Strategy for Child Protection on the Internet, stressing the importance of local-federal cooperation to bolster national capabilities. She advocated for integrated efforts across legal, media, justice, and private sectors to uphold the strategy's mechanisms for supporting victims and addressing psychological and health impacts on children online.

The forum featured a presentation on the "Hemayati" app, followed by Captain Fawz Mohamed from the Kingdom of Bahrain, who shared Bahrain's Ministry of Interior's experiences in safeguarding children online. This included establishing specialized rooms for receiving and assisting children, investigating online attacks against them, and providing a supportive environment conducive to reporting, protecting, and comforting children through psychological and social support.

In conclusion, participants lauded the insights gained and experiences shared during the forum, reaffirming the collective commitment to safeguarding children in the virtual realm.