UN Geneva: Child Online Protection

15 September 2015

Queen Mathilde participated in the UN Human Rights Council in Geneva, Switzerland.

 

She presided a UN High Level Event on Child Online Protection where she gave the opening speech in English.

For a number of years, Belgium has been active in mobilising the private sector concerning the rights of the child. I lent my voice to this cause, because I agree that business has a contract with society. And I applaud the commitment of business to take a more active role in this respect. The corporate sector can - and should - take more responsibility for the most marginalized members of our society, among them children. Companies should systematically include children's rights among their main corporate responsibility objectives. 

It is our duty, therefore - all of us - as adults, parents, teachers and leaders, to guide children and protect them in this new, connected world. Together we must create a secure online framework within which children can grow up and flourish. Prevention and awareness-raising are crucial first steps. But teaching children to be media savvy is equally essential: empowering them with the knowledge, the skills and the attitudes to use the new media actively and creatively, but also safely, as tools for social participation.

Afterwards she also gave a speech (in French) on the equality between men and women.