ITU - International Telecommunication Union

Last updated: 2024-01-02

About our SID activities

As part of the PoP Initative, we will kick off a global campaign to invite children and young people to share their experiences on accessing safety and protection through online means. More information can be found here.

What we are doing to create a better internet…

After the launch of the newly revised Child Online Protection (COP) Guidelines released in collaboration with key COP partners (governments, industry leaders, civil society, the educational sector, and children and their families), ITU, with the support of the National Cyber Authority of the Kingdom of Saudi Arabia, is in the process of implementing the Guidelines worldwide.  

With a focus on capacity building, policy advice, and child participation, the Guidelines are a comprehensive set of recommendations for all relevant stakeholders on how to contribute to the development of a safe and empowering online environment for children and young people. The implementation of these Guidelines has taken shape as training developed for a variety of stakeholders, from policy-makers, educators of all kinds, parents, and children themselves. Some of these trainings are also available in self-paced modules on the ITU Academy website linked below.  

Digital Resources for Children  

The COP Guidelines for children are adapted to different age groups and have been developed in a child-friendly format (a storybook for children under nine years old, a workbook for children aged 9-12 and a social media campaign for young people aged 13-18). Helping children learn how to manage risks online while empowering them to exercise their rights online and offline, they support children in engaging in opportunities the internet offers.  

With a focus on capacity building and awareness-raising for all relevant stakeholder groups, the GOP Global Program, a mobile app for teenagers, and an online game for younger children (aged 9-12) were released to empower children about media literacy and online resilience. 

Protection through Online Participation (POP) Working Group 

The POP working group was established with the UN Special Representative of the Secretary-General on Violence Against Children and partners from other UN offices, NGOs and the ICT sector. Launched at SID 2022, the working group aims to develop an evidence base to understand better how online means are helping enhance child protection systems, make the relevant data available and share recommendations for relevant stakeholders to improve access to support and referral services through online means. 

COP and Sports 

ITU, in partnership with the Scort Foundation, published a policy brief (linked below) about COP in sports. Geared toward sports organisations at the grassroots and professional levels, this brief provides clear recommendations on addressing online risks, tackling violence against children, and promoting safe uses of digital tools and services.  We invite all interested stakeholders to join us for the development of a tangible toolkit and campaign to support the implementation of the recommendations in the sector. 

About us

Welcome to the ITU Child Online Protection Initiative – a dedicated effort to create a safer digital environment for children worldwide. Protecting children online is a global challenge, requiring a comprehensive, global approach. While numerous initiatives are underway to enhance child online protection, they often operate on a national scale.
In response to this global challenge, ITU launched the Child Online Protection (COP) Initiative in November 2008, embedded within the Global Cybersecurity Agenda (GCA) framework. This multi-stakeholder effort unites partners from various sectors globally to collectively address the unique risks faced by children in the digital realm. COP was presented to the ITU Council in 2008 and received endorsements from the UN Secretary-General, Heads of State, Ministers, and leaders of international organizations worldwide. The key objectives of COP encompass identifying risks and vulnerabilities, raising awareness, developing practical tools, and fostering the exchange of knowledge and experiences. Join us in this crucial initiative as we work towards creating a safe and empowering online experience for children around the world.

Additional links/resources

Website
https://www.itu.int/COP

Email address
cop@itu.int

Social media