Doha, 11 Sept. 2024 (QNA)

Two-day Third National Human Rights Forum concluded today in Doha. The conference was held on September 10 and 11 under the title ‘ Protecting Children’s Rights in a Safe Digital Environment: Challenges and Prospects for Empowerment and Protection’. It was organized by National Human Rights Committee in partnership with Ministry of Interior; Ministry of Communications and Information Technology; Ministry of Education and Higher Education; Ministry of Social Development and Family; National Cybersecurity Agency; Office of the Special Representative of UN Secretary-General for Children and Armed Conflict; United Nations Children’s Fund (UNICEF).

Among other institutions participating included Ministry of Justice; Ministry of Culture; Public Prosecution; National Committee to Combat Human Trafficking; Qatar University; Hamad Bin Khalifa University; United Nations Office for Documentation and Training in the Field of Human Rights for Western Asia; Al Jazeera Media Network; and other concerned institutions.

The forum highlighted the legislative and technical progress made by State of Qatar to enable children to have safe access to the digital space, in line with the  national values expressed in the Permanent Constitution of the State, and in a manner that achieves Qatar’s National Vision 2030.

The participants in 2-Day conference appreciated the efforts of all parties concerned with children’s digital rights.  The forum sessions were enriched by a group of experts and specialists from government agencies, civil society, and the private sector, in addition to the active participation of children themselves.

Secretary General of National Human Rights Committee of Qatar (NHRC), Sultan Hassan Al Jamali announced the communiqué at the conclusion ceremony of Third National Forum for Human Rights.

Following are the salient points of the communique:

1.  Develop the legislative structure to keep pace with digital development, in a manner that includes criminalizing all forms of violence and crimes committed against children in the digital environment, including prohibiting inappropriate and harmful content to the life and healthy development of children.

2. Adopt policies and measures to enable children to have safe access to the digital environment, and continuously develop preventive tools to keep pace with the evolving risks and challenges in the digital space, and encourage innovations in the world of technology, while ensuring high standards of safety, including obligating platforms on the Internet to conduct periodic risk assessments with the aim of exploring and addressing the harmful effects of their services on children’s rights, and ensuring that commercial companies respect children’s privacy and protect their interests.

3. The need for legislative and administrative measures to ensure the protection of children’s rights to digital learning, and to enhance their ability to control the information they share via the Internet, and their right to express their opinions and safe digital participation, including interaction via social media, and to protect them from exploitation and abuse and protect their personal data, and to provide the opportunity for children’s voices to be heard in all measures taken regarding them.

4. Enabling children and their families to access effective redress mechanisms, by simplifying child-friendly complaint procedures, and enhancing the capacities of law enforcement, public prosecution and judiciary officials to address violations related to the digital environment through various means, including international cooperation.

5. Establishing a department for artificial intelligence and digital rights at the National Human Rights Committee, developing monitoring tools, and working to include children’s rights in the digital environment in its guidelines and annual reports, and contributing to the establishment of an international platform to develop discussion on the best measures and practices to prevent violence and exploitation of children in the digital environment.

6. Raising awareness and educating parents is very important. Parents must be aware and cognizant of the risks of using technology. The private sector must also play a role in the issue of digital programs and platforms that are created and developed, or in setting policies for their proper use. The private sector must play a role in developing electronic games in a purposeful and educational manner that includes all the standards that protect children from any type of violence, bullying, or violation of religious or social principles.

7. Tighten penalties for the circulation of pornographic sites and sites that encourage children to commit suicide and self-harm, and work to strengthen prevention mechanisms, including designing digital materials and platforms that enhance national and religious identity.

8. Work to develop unified regional standards for the production of digital content directed at children, taking into account cultural and religious diversity, and ensuring the provision of appropriate and safe content for all children. In this regard, cooperation should be strengthened between government institutions, civil society organizations, communications and technology companies, and digital platforms.

9. Implementing the Convention on the Rights of the Child ratified by the State of Qatar, enhancing bilateral, regional and international cooperation in all matters related to children’s participation in the digital space, and supporting international efforts and initiatives aimed at protecting children’s rights in the digital environment.

10. Enhancing access for persons with disabilities to a safe digital environment, and raising the quality of digital access services and assistive technology to support children with disabilities.

11. Integrating artificial intelligence into school curricula, supporting safe ethical design and responsible use, allocating resources for children’s programs based on artificial intelligence, and developing the capabilities of teachers, administrators and parents in artificial intelligence.

Chairperson of the NHRC, Maryam bint Abdullah Al Attiyah, emphasized the need to act on the conclusions from the third edition of the National Human Rights Forum. She highlighted that the forum and its recommendations are crucial for creating a safe digital environment for children.

Al Attiyah pointed out that ensuring digital security for future generations is now an urgent priority and requires a collaborative effort from state institutions and parents alike.

She stressed the need for widespread awareness of the factors necessary to build a secure digital world. The forum’s recommendations, crafted with input from experts across cyber, legal, and security fields, underscore the importance of addressing these issues.

Al Attiyah urged all stakeholders to intensify their efforts to foster a digital environment that safeguards children’s rights, who are fundamental to developmental progress.

Brig. Ali Hassan Al Kubaisi, Director of the Economic and Cyber Crimes Combating Department in Ministry of Interior had highlighted on the opening day of conference MoI’s role in combating electronic crime at all levels.

He stressed that there is a development in electronic crime globally as a result of rapid technological development, indicating that combating electronic crimes, including those directed at children, is one of the key priorities of the MoI.