Women’s Empowerment and Child Protection (PPPA) Minister Bintang Puspayoga on Tuesday emphasized the need for the Association of Southeast Asian Nations (ASEAN) to protect children in the region from adverse effects of technology.

“During this era of rapid changes, we should ensure that our children get maximum benefits from digital technology while protecting them from its adverse effects,” Puspayoga remarked in her opening speech at the ASEAN Regional Dialogue on Child Online Protection 2023 held in Jakarta.

The event, held under Indonesia’s ASEAN chairmanship this year, carries the theme “Racing Against the Clock: Pushing Forward with Child Online Protection in the ASEAN Region” and focuses on efforts to protect Southeast Asian children, as crucial assets for the region in the future.

“Digital technology has been providing us with considerable convenience, comfort, and benefits. However, we should be aware of its potential of bringing negative impacts,” she pointed out.

The minister stated that to protect their children from the increasingly broad, expansive, and aggressive negative content in the digital space, member countries of ASEAN have affirmed their commitment to combating online child exploitation and abuse.

The commitment takes form in the Declaration on the Protection of Children from All Forms of Online Exploitation and Abuse in ASEAN as well as the ASEAN Regional Plan of Action for the Protection of Children from All Forms of Online Exploitation and Abuse.

Moreover, several ASEAN states have formulated essential policies related to the protection of their children, the minister highlighted.

“At the national level, the Indonesian government has long ratified the Convention on the Rights of the Child and committed to fully guaranteeing the fulfillment of children’s rights, including the right to voice their thoughts,” she noted.

The PPPA Ministry has formed a Children’s Forum at all levels of government to ensure fulfillment of the rights of children, she emphasized.

Furthermore, Minister Puspayoga affirmed that the Indonesian government had been making significant efforts to realize a child-friendly digital space. (PNA)