INTRODUCTION

Let me begin by saying that I am personally excited and honoured to be here today as we meet to validate the Child Online Protection (COP) Framework. It is good news, and I believe that anyone who has been part of this process over the years is similarly happy for today’s programme. The cybersecurity of our children and their future as digital citizens directly depend on the outcome of this workshop. Therefore I see this workshop as a remarkable event of the COP Framework Development process, which is going to provide the premises for ensuring Child Online Safety. We must also acknowledge that we have come this far in our bid to protect children online because the government is committed to the cause of protecting children as they use the internet.

BACKGROUND

The whole concept of protecting children online is a global concern. Findings from international and local research show that children go on the internet to learn, socialise, entertain themselves, shop, make friends and share ideas, among other things. But the challenge is that as our children go online, they get exposed to online predators, cyberbullies and child abuse materials through inappropriate contacts, content and conducts.

CONTEXT

If there is any time to develop a framework or policy for protecting our children who are the future of mother Ghana, then there is no better time than now. You will all agree with me that in recent times the issue of child online abuse materials circulating on various social media platforms is becoming unbearable. Sadly, this involves adults and children as victims and perpetrators in some instances. We can all recollect the sex tape of Ejisu SHS girls and that of Akuapim pollo which went viral on social media. It is not peculiar to Ghana; it is global. From the establishment of the Global Cybersecurity Agenda (GCA) framework in 2007 by the International Telecommunications Union (ITU). 

MILESTONES

• The International discourse on Child Online Protection started in 2008 as an offshoot of the Global Cybersecurity Agenda (GCA) framework. The GCA focuses on five pillars for addressing COP issues. These are Legal, Technical procedures, Organisational structures, Capacity building and International Cooperation.
• The ITU with UNICEF and other stakeholders developed the COP initiative guidelines to help in the implementation of child online protection policies. These are the guidelines for children, policymakers, industry players and parent, guardians and educators.
• In 2016 the government through the Ministry of Communications constituted a steering committee to put together a COP framework. The committee developed the COP framework based on the GCA, but the framework was validated and accepted for implementation.
• Before the government’s COP initiative in 2016, Child Online Africa, a Civil Society Organisation (CSO) has been advocating for the online safety of children on many platforms including the celebration of safer internet day for children.
• The establishment of the National Cyber Security Centre (NCSC) was an indication of government commitment to sanitising the cyberspace for all. Because of this, the COP secretariat was created under the NCSC to work on matters relating to COP mainly to review the existing COP framework. It is against this background that UNICEF came in to collaborate with the Ministry of Communications.

THE FRAMEWORK

• The review of the existing COP framework became necessary because of new developments in handling the digital safety of children.
• The review of the existing COP framework is to align it with the WePROTECT Global Alliance framework for protecting children.
• The WePROTECT Global Alliance has gained broader international acceptance, and most countries are reviewing their COP framework to conform to both the GCA and the WePROTECT.
• Given this, the new COP framework that we have gathered here to validate takes into consideration the GCA and the WePROTECT.
• The new COP framework document is in 4 main parts
  • Part 1 – Give the background
  • Part 2 – Provides Baseline Assessment
  • Part 3 – The actual framework
  • Part 4 – Stakeholders involvement

Presented by Dr. Nana Kofi Annan