The Duke of Sussex has joined youth leaders around the world to launch the Global Child Online Safety Toolkit, based on work by Professor Julia Davidson OBE from the University of East London and the 5Rights Foundation.
The original research – for the Rwanda Policy Toolkit – was developed in 2019 by Professor Davidson from UEL's Institute for Connected Communities (ICC) in Rwanda along with the 5Rights Foundation, an NGO focused on putting children's rights at the heart of digital design. is dedicated to.
The toolkit was launched last week to give global policymakers a roadmap toward building a safe and supportive online world for children.
Professor Davidson said, “It is great news that our research will be used to influence child online safety policy around the world and guide clinicians to help make the digital world safer for children globally. Going to. 10 key policy action areas that can be applied to anyone. A country free of harm to children from the online world.
"We are thrilled that Prince Harry has supported Kit, as well as the United Nations."
During the launch, Duke praised the "unprecedented work" in building the toolkit and called for a safer digital world for youth.
He said he expected his children to "never experience the online world as it exists now" and criticized social media companies for making "unimaginable money" from commercializing users' attention.
Prince Harry said the world needs new digital laws to protect children, such as those being introduced in California, the European Union and the UK. Professor Davidson has been instrumental in research for the UK's Online Safety Bill, which requires companies like Facebook to protect children and adults from harmful online content.
"We need new laws. We need public pressure. We need strong leadership," the prince said.
Nick Martlev, executive director of the 5Rights Foundation, said, “The brilliant young leaders who helped launch the Child Online Safety Toolkit all agreed: They want to enjoy the enormous benefits of a digital world without the risk that society can never afford offline. This toolkit is a comprehensive guide for governments to make this a reality and respond to their obligation to keep children safe online."
The online launch was attended by representatives from the United Nations, the African Union and the European Union, as well as young people aged 13 to 21 from countries including South Africa, the UK, Canada and Malaysia.
Professor Davidson has led research addressing key social issues and inspired, influenced and improved national and international policy, industry and practice in the field of online harm.
This research led to the development of a child online protection policy and five-year implementation plan in Rwanda after extensive research and analysis in collaboration with Baroness Biban Kidron of the 5Rights Foundation. Professor Davidson helped deliver the training following the implementation of the plan.
The Child Online Safety Policy and Plan was adopted in 2019 by the Government of Rwanda in key sectors including health, criminal justice, education, industry, civil society and the community. A national awareness campaign was launched in 2019 through community networks and schools.