Photo Credit; Namibian Presidency
By; Mupiri Mathias
Windhoek, June 16 – In observance of the International Day of the African Child, His Excellency Dr. Hage G. Geingob, President of the Republic of Namibia, joins African communities. President Hage G. Geingob states in his message: “The Soweto uprising on June 16, 1976, marked a turning moment in Southern Africa’s battle for freedom. The revolt revealed the bravery and tenacity of young people who were determined to put an end to Apartheid and begin a new era for those who were oppressed in our region as well as South Africa.
The International Day of the African Child is remembered today with the theme “The Rights of the Child in the Digital Environment,” which acknowledges the pressing need to protect children’s rights as they navigate the possibilities and challenges of today’s technological world and encourages reflection and commitment to addressing the numerous issues that children face.
We acknowledge how the world has changed due to the Fourth Industrial Revolution, which is advancing Artificial Intelligence (AI), Automation, the World Wide Web, the Internet of Things (IoT), and various technologies in the digital realm, as a means to honor the courageous activities carried out by youth 47 years ago. The way that youngsters exercise and realize their rights has altered as a result of these extensive and rapid developments in the digital world.
Children are being exposed to the World Wide Web and the virtual world more and more. In light of their rights under the African Charter and the UN Convention on the Rights of the Child, children’s experiences in the digital world must be taken into account. The immense potential of the Internet, which encompasses networking, education, creativity, and business, is now accessible to children.
Along with these potential, there are clear concerns, such as online sexual harassment of kids, cyberbullying, abuse, and internet crime, which necessitate a multi-stakeholder strategy to ensure the promotion and protection of children’s rights. The child’s rights are the same offline as they are online or in any other location. Regarding children’s rights in the online world, the government of the Republic of Namibia has made strides. 2020 saw the implementation of Namibia’s National Broadband Policy, which specifically involved kids in the creation of its advocacy and information-sharing methods. By 2030, we also intend to make sure that every school has broadband infrastructure.
Namibia also ratified the Statements of Action to Combat Online Child Sexual Exploitation from the WePROTECT Global Alliance in 2016. To continually oversee the execution of the national framework and road map for kid online safety, a National Multi-Stakeholder Task Force was created. It is wonderful that we have made progress in the Namibian House toward advancing children’s rights. But more work has to be done. These include building methods to enforce accountability for children’s online safety, adopting laws and regulations that are child-focused in connection to the digital environment, and raising knowledge and capacity at the household level.
“Let’s join together to defend our children’s rights in the online world as we commemorate the International Day of the African Child.
