Manama, A coordination meeting was held between the Public Prosecution Ministry of Justice, Interior Ministry, Ministry of Social Development, Ministry of Justice, Ministry of Islamic Affairs and Endowments, Ministry of Information, and Ministry of Education to discuss the launch of a national campaign to protect children from online exploitation and blackmail.
The meeting was attended by Counselor Wael Rashid Buallay, Assistant Attorney General; Colonel Ammar Mustafa Al Sayed, Assistant Chief of Public Security for Community Affairs at the Ministry of Interior; Sahar Rashid Al Mannai, Undersecretary of the Ministry of Social Development; Dana Khamis Al Zayani, Undersecretary for family planning and reconciliation and alimony at the Ministry of Justice Islamic Affairs and Endowments; Yousif Mohammed Al Binkhalil, Undersecretary of the Ministry of Information; and Suha Saleh Jassim Hamada, Director General for Schools’ Affairs at the Ministry of Education.
The meeting discussed the final preparations for lau
nching the campaign. It is conducted by the Public Prosecution in cooperation with various ministries to raise awareness of the danger of exploitation and blackmail for children in cyberspace.
The campaign will focus on educating parents and caregivers on identifying and responding to cases of online exploitation and blackmail targeting children. The initiative also includes implementing guidelines for managing children’s internet use and utilising digital safety applications.
The meeting, held in partnership with the General Secretariat of the Supreme Judicial Council, Ministry of Youth Affairs, Information and eGovernment Authority, National Institute for Human Rights (NIHR), Telecommunications Regulatory Authority (TRA), Judicial and Legal Studies Institute, and National Communication Center (NCC), discussed the campaign’s strategy, roles of organisers and partners, event themes, and planned activities. The campaign is scheduled to launch on Wednesday, July 10, and will run until the end of the year.
Th
e representatives of the concerned entities emphasised their commitment to achieving the campaign’s objectives, which include combating illegal internet activities, addressing internet misuse, and ensuring a secure online environment for children.
According to Counselor Buallay, the idea for the campaign was developed through consultation between the Public Prosecution and the organising ministries to enhance child protection by raising awareness of the risks associated with cyberspace for children.
He emphasised the importance of protecting children in cyberspace through awareness campaigns, alongside legislative measures, security protocols, and judicial oversight. He added that this proactive approach was essential for reducing crimes, particularly those impacting children, such as sexual, psychological, and economic exploitation, online blackmail, and coercion.
These crimes often involve luring victims to commit immoral acts, followed by exploitation for financial gain or other material benefits, often
under threat or coercion to commit further offenses, he said,
Source: Bahrain News Agency