On May 20th, the GSMA and CHI (Child Helpline International) hosted a joint workshop at GSMA HQ, focusing on the safe and responsible use of digital services by children and young people.
Mats Granryd, GSMA Director General, and Kees Peijster, Child Helpline International (CHI) Supervisory Board Chair, welcomed the many stakeholders in attendance from industry, child helplines, law enforcement, NGOs and other partners, noting the shared commitment to protecting children’s rights and the importance of multi-stakeholder collaboration.
Drawing on the expertise and range of perspectives in the room, the workshop explored the issues that young people may encounter in their digital lives, such as cyber-bullying, inappropriate content and sexual exploitation. The event also kick-started the development of high-level guidance for child helplines to support children when they reach out with questions or problems relating to internet safety.
The GSMA and CHI, which signed a MoU on the 25th Anniversary of the UN Convention on the Rights of the Child in November 2014, have developed a strong partnership. Over the past year, the GSMA and CHI have identified and documented many examples of the productive collaborative work between child helplines and mobile operators in a number of countries. Building on their members’ successes, the GSMA and CHI co-published a ‘Practical Guide’ that highlights examples of best practice to help mobile operators and child helplines work together to protect children’s rights.