India calls for galvanized international cooperation to secure cyberspace for children

Highlighting that exposure to the digital environment is reshaping childhood by creating both opportunities and unprecedented risks, India at United Nations on Thursday called for "galvanized international cooperation'' to safeguard children from inappropriate contents and bullying in cyberspace.

Speaking on the occasion of 30th anniversary of the Convention on the Rights of the Child during 74th Session of the United Nations General Assembly, Paulomi Tripathi, First Secretary in India's Permanent Mission to the UN, said that the gains in the area of rights of the child have been made over the last three decades, however, significant challenges still remain.

Listing the challenges, Tripathi said, "More than half of the world's poorest persons are children. Devastating impacts of climate change threaten their future prospects. Children are disproportionately affected by terrorism and armed conflicts. The number of child victims of human trafficking has doubled over a decade. They are trafficked for sexual exploitation, forced labour or for recruitment as child soldiers."

"Exposure to the digital environment is reshaping childhood by creating both opportunities and unprecedented risks. Exposure to cyberspace is impacting cognition, behaviour as well as physical and mental health of children. We need to protect children from exposure to inappropriate contents and bullying, and preserve their privacy in cyberspace," she added.

Tripathi suggested that the world needs to strengthen digital literacy, including enhancingunderstanding of the digital environment by children, parents, and caregivers, andstronger frameworks to moderate content.

''Consulting with children and taking into account their unique experiences are importantto develop effective measures in this context. Rapidly evolving, transnational nature of these socio-technological challenges also call for galvanized international cooperation," the first secretary said.

Tripathi also asserted out that the living conditions of a child needed to be improved along with his family and community.

"Rights can be proclaimed and policies can be formulated. However, unless the living condition of the child is improved along with the family and community he or she belongs to, our efforts are meaningless," she said.