Australia thanks the Special Representative for her insightful report on the protection of children in the digital environment.

Every day, children in all regions and on every continent learn, connect, play and express themselves online. It is therefore critical their human rights are promoted and protected online, as well as offline.

It is crucial that we effectively protect children from all forms of violence in the digital environment, including; cyberbullying, sexual exploitation and abuse.

Through the work of Australia’s eSafety Commissioner, Australia is driving progress on the principles, implementation measures, and remedies needed to combat violence against children online.

Australia works proactively with industry to ensure safety is a paramount consideration throughout product design, development and deployment. eSafety’s Youth Council also gives young people the opportunity to share their insights and experiences about online safety with eSafety and Government.

Ensuring the safety of all children in the digital world will require close collaboration amongst governments, regulators, industry, advocates, and children themselves.

We ask the Special Representative: how can we improve collaboration to combat violence against children online, and best support children’s participation in developing online safety policies?