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Protecting children... [Gulf Daily News, Manama, Bahrain](Gulf Daily News (Bahrain) Via Acquire Media NewsEdge) May 8--A CODE of conduct to help protect children from online abuse will be drafted at an international conference opening in Bahrain today. It will help regulate the abuse of children over the Internet in the absence of specific laws in the region, said Be Free Centre manager and one of the conference organisers Rana Al Sairafi. The code will be drafted by conference participants, who comprise 110 representatives from ministries, non-governmental organisations and media from Bahrain, Saudi Arabia, Qatar, Yemen, Palestine, Jordan, Palestine, Sudan and Mauritania. "We have telecommunications, companies and ministries participating in the forum and if we all work together, we can put together something," Ms Al Sairafi told the GDN. "It's all for the Arab region and this code will help because the online child abuse is not even considered an issue here. So with this code we hope telecommunications will at least give a thought to it when putting new telecom services. "Or when a ministry is organising a conference related to the Internet or mobiles, they will consider this. "By the end of the conference, we hope to have a draft and we will develop it later on." Conference participants are also expected to draft some practical tips for protecting children over the Internet which will mainly be aimed at childcare providers. "We hope that this experience will be taken on by participants and used back in their places of work," said Ms Al Sairafi. "There is still a lack of awareness about child abuse over the Internet, so this will help raise awareness -- but more than that, it is about getting telecom companies and others on board." The two-day conference, on 'Effective Strategies for the Prevention of Child Online Pornography, Trafficking and Abuse', is the first of its kind in the region. It is being held under patronage of United Nations special rapporteur on the sale of children, child prostitution and child pornography, Najat Majid Maala. It is supported by the British Embassy, which is covering the travel and accommodation costs of experts coming from the UK. An opening ceremony will be held at the Cultural Hall, near the Bahrain National Museum, at 8pm and the conference will be held tomorrow and Sunday at the Crowne Plaza. The conference will screen a documentary film containing footage of children in Bahrain being interviewed randomly about their use of the Internet. It will also focus on issues such as technology and child abuse, laws and comprehensive protection strategies, the role of the media and Internet providers in child protection, raising community awareness and the role of children and adolescents in prevention. Key speakers include Shura Council member Muneera Bin Hindi, Netherlands-based Child Helpline International programme manager Nafila Maani, British Telecommunications Internet security head Nick Truman, UK-based Internet Watch Foundation communications director Sara Robertson, Al Jazeera Children's Channel, Qatar, web and multimedia manager Ayoub El Gaidi, as well as journalists, lawyers and researchers from the UK, US, the UAE and Bahrain. Registration to the conference is still open but places are limited. For more information and to register, contact the Be Free Centre on 17242415. [email protected] |