By Chernor Alimamy Kamara
Defence for Children International (DCI) Sierra Leone, a local Non-Governmental Organization (NGO) has called for an increased public education programmes including outreach to schools and communities to raise awareness on positive use of digital services and the dangers of cyber-crime.
The organisation made the recommendation in a press release i to mark the commemoration of the Day of the African Child (DAC) on the 16th June, this year.
The theme for this year’s commemoration was “Children’s Rights in the Digital Environment”.
The Group recalled that since 1961 when the Assembly of Heads of State and Government of the Organization of African Unity (OAU) now the African Union (AU) slated the 16th June of every year as the Day of the African Child, the African Committee of Experts on the Rights and Welfare of the Child chose a theme for the commemoration of the DAC.
The DAC theme according the DCI, is to stimulate deeper reflection and analysis of how children’s rights are affected by the theme, so that the government and other stakeholders can make commitments, and take further steps or actions towards addressing the issues.
The release noted that the theme for 2023 has been chosen given the fact that internet penetration is increasing across Africa and its use and other digital services have both child empowerment and exploitation implications. From empowerment perspective, it stated that access to internet and other digital services can facilitate children’s enjoyment of the rights to information, freedom of expression, education, freedom of association, leisure and recreation.
It referenced Sierra Leone during the Ebola Virus Disease epidemic and the COVID-19 pandemic where digital services played important role in ensuring children’s access to education, information and other services. It went on to state that children are exposed to risk of varieties of abuse and exploitation in the digital world which include cyber bully, sexual exploitation and abuse, trafficking and others.
DCI in the release thanked the government for establishing the legal framework by enacting the Cyber Act 2021, the Anti-Human Trafficking Act 2022, the Sexual Offences Act, Media regulations and the establishing of the Independent Media Commission (IMC) for the protection of citizens in the digital world.
“This suggests that more efforts are needed to ensure quality use of digital services by Children without facing any harm,” part of the release states.
The DCI together with MaRiYoNet however drew the attention of all state and non-state actors concerned with politics and democracy in Sierra Leone, to the growing misuse and abuse of children in political campaigns and violence, which are tantamount to involvement of children in hostilities.
DCI recommended for Government to lead a multi-stakeholders approach involving relevant state institutions, private sector/service providers, parents/caregivers, CSOs and children so that everyone could play their role in ensuring that children are safely making use of the digital environment. It also called for more efforts in extending safe digital services to the children in rural area and those with critical disabilities.
It also urged the Political Party Regulation Commission (PPRC), the Electoral Commission for Sierra Leone (ECSL) and other state institutions to intensify monitoring of the political space and hold political parties accountable for violating the rights of children.
Defence for Children International is an independent NGO set up during the International Year of the Child in 1979, to ensure on-going, practical, systematic and concerted international action specially directed towards promoting and protecting the rights of the child.
Copyright © 2023 Politico (19/06/23)
