LS Speaker Birla for consensus to ban child pornography globally

Lok Sabha Speaker Om Birla on Thursday urged the international community to develop a consensus for a global ban on child pornography.

Speaking at the 25th conference of Speakers and Presiding Officers of the Commonwealth in Ottawa, Canada, he noted that in a bid to eradicate sexual exploitation of children, several changes in the existing laws in India are being brought to ensure harsher punishment for the perpetrators.

Birla said child pornography has also been made punishable.

"He called upon international community to develop a consensus for a global ban on child pornography," a statement issued by the Lok Sabha Secretariat here said.

Observing that the expansion of social media has transcended regional boundaries and connected parliaments and people across the globe, Birla said social networking helps in furthering good governance, exposing corruption and checking the misuse of power by the governments.

He also said digital means have not only increased the reach of the people to the parliamentary activities and documents, it has also increased transparency and accountability.