International Telecommunications Day
Protection of Children in Cyberspace.
To celebrate World Telecommunications and Information Society Day which takes place on May 17 each year, the Council of the International Telecommunications Union (ITU) has chosen for 2009 the theme “protecting children in cyberspace”.
At the World Summit on the Information Society (WSIS), ITU was entrusted by leaders of the international community with the responsibility of “Building trust and security in the use of information and communications technologies”. The WSIS documents specifically highlight the needs of children and young people and the need to protect them in cyberspace and recognize the role of Information and Communication Technologies (ICT) in the development of children, hence the urgency of strengthening measures intended to protect them against any abuse and to ensure the defense of their rights in the context of ICT.
Ten years ago there were barely 182 million Internet users in the world. As of early 2009, the number has risen to 1.5 billion, of which more than 400 million have access to broadband. There are more than 600 million users in Asia, 130 million in Latin America and the Caribbean and 50 million in Africa. In Algeria, the number of Internet users was estimated by the Post and Telecommunications Regulatory Authority (ARPT) in 2007 at 3.2 million users, with a penetration rate of 9.5% and a total of 5,000 cybercafés.
An ever-expanding global resource, the Internet increases online dangers, particularly those to which children, who are among the most active and vulnerable users, are exposed. According to recent surveys, more than 60% of children and adolescents use Internet sites every day and can be potential victims in cyberspace.
Therefore, the global cybersecurity program adopted by the ITU Council at its 2008 session and approved by heads of state, ministers and heads of international organizations established a framework for international cooperation proposing strategies and solutions to strengthen security and trust within the information society.
The safety of young people in the real world, as much as on the Internet in this digital age, is everyone's responsibility so that each child's online adventure is marked out and secure.
To celebrate World Telecommunications and Information Society Day which takes place on May 17 each year, the Council of the International Telecommunications Union (ITU) has chosen for 2009 the theme “protecting children in cyberspace”.
At the World Summit on the Information Society (WSIS), ITU was entrusted by leaders of the international community with the responsibility of “Building trust and security in the use of information and communications technologies”. The WSIS documents specifically highlight the needs of children and young people and the need to protect them in cyberspace and recognize the role of Information and Communication Technologies (ICT) in the development of children, hence the urgency of strengthening measures intended to protect them against any abuse and to ensure the defense of their rights in the context of ICT.
Ten years ago there were barely 182 million Internet users in the world. As of early 2009, the number has risen to 1.5 billion, of which more than 400 million have access to broadband. There are more than 600 million users in Asia, 130 million in Latin America and the Caribbean and 50 million in Africa. In Algeria, the number of Internet users was estimated by the Post and Telecommunications Regulatory Authority (ARPT) in 2007 at 3.2 million users, with a penetration rate of 9.5% and a total of 5,000 cybercafés.
An ever-expanding global resource, the Internet increases online dangers, particularly those to which children, who are among the most active and vulnerable users, are exposed. According to recent surveys, more than 60% of children and adolescents use Internet sites every day and can be potential victims in cyberspace.
Therefore, the global cybersecurity program adopted by the ITU Council at its 2008 session and approved by heads of state, ministers and heads of international organizations established a framework for international cooperation proposing strategies and solutions to strengthen security and trust within the information society.
The safety of young people in the real world, as much as on the Internet in this digital age, is everyone's responsibility so that each child's online adventure is marked out and secure.