About our SID activities
For Safer Internet Day 2026, ITU will contribute to the global campaign by highlighting the intersection between online safety, emerging technologies, and child rights — with a particular focus on artificial intelligence.
Planned and ongoing activities include:
- Promotion of the Joint Statement on Artificial Intelligence and Child Rights, encouraging governments, industry and stakeholders to embed child rights in AI design, governance and deployment.
- Global outreach around the PoP Guiding Principles, showcasing how digital platforms, child helplines and governments can strengthen safe and accessible reporting and support pathways for children online.
- Visibility for the GO-SAFER platform, which provides curated online safety resources and supports evidence-based educational approaches.
- Social media engagement and dissemination of ITU Child Online Protection guidelines and tools.
- Engagement through the ITU Council Working Group on Child Online Protection (CWG-COP) to foster dialogue among Member States and sector members.
- ITU will also amplify youth perspectives and promote meaningful child participation in discussions on online safety and AI governance, reinforcing the importance of listening to children’s experiences in shaping safer digital ecosystems.
- As Safer Internet Day 2026 focuses on emerging digital challenges, ITU will underline that innovation and protection must go hand in hand — ensuring that new technologies empower children while safeguarding their rights.
What we are doing to create a better internet...
Together for a better internet means ensuring that digital innovation advances — rather than undermines — the rights, safety and well-being of children.
ITU works with governments, industry, civil society and international partners to strengthen national child online protection frameworks, promote safety-by-design approaches, and advance child rights-based governance of emerging technologies, including artificial intelligence.
Through initiatives such as GO-SAFER, the Protection through Online Participation (PoP) Guiding Principles, and the Joint Statement on AI and Child Rights, ITU promotes coordinated, global action to ensure that children can safely access opportunities online and find protection and support when needed.
By fostering international cooperation and meaningful child participation, ITU contributes to building digital environments that are inclusive, empowering and safe for every child.
About us
The International Telecommunication Union (ITU) is the United Nations specialized agency for information and communication technologies (ICTs). ITU works to connect the world and ensure that digital transformation is inclusive, safe and sustainable — especially for children and young people.
Child Online Protection (COP) is a long-standing priority for ITU. Through its Telecommunication Development Bureau (BDT), ITU supports Member States in strengthening national legal and policy frameworks, building institutional capacity, and fostering multi-stakeholder cooperation to create safer digital environments for children.
ITU’s work spans:
- Development of national Child Online Protection frameworks and strategies
- Capacity-building for policymakers, regulators, educators, industry and children
- Global knowledge products and guidelines for governments and the ICT sector
- Promotion of meaningful child participation in digital governance processes
- Engagement with industry through dialogue platforms and global partnerships
ITU works closely with UN partners, governments, industry, civil society and academia to advance a rights-based approach to digital safety, aligned with the UN Convention on the Rights of the Child and relevant international frameworks.
Recent global initiatives include:
- GO-SAFER (Global Online Safety Alliance for Educational Resources) — a multi-stakeholder platform that facilitates access to high-quality, evidence-based online safety resources for educators, caregivers and policymakers.
- The Protection through Online Participation (PoP) Guiding Principles (2025), developed jointly with the Office of the UN Special Representative of the Secretary-General on Violence Against Children and over 30 partners, which provide practical guidance to transform digital spaces into accessible pathways to protection for children.
- The Joint Statement on Artificial Intelligence and Child Rights (2026), launched with more than 50 supporting organizations, calling for child rights-based AI governance and responsible innovation.
Through global dialogue platforms such as the ITU Council Working Group on Child Online Protection (CWG-COP), ITU serves as a convening authority to advance coordinated international action.
Additional links / resources
About our SID activities
For Safer Internet Day 2026, ITU will contribute to the global campaign by highlighting the intersection between online safety, emerging technologies, and child rights — with a particular focus on artificial intelligence.
Planned and ongoing activities include:
- Promotion of the Joint Statement on Artificial Intelligence and Child Rights, encouraging governments, industry and stakeholders to embed child rights in AI design, governance and deployment.
- Global outreach around the PoP Guiding Principles, showcasing how digital platforms, child helplines and governments can strengthen safe and accessible reporting and support pathways for children online.
- Visibility for the GO-SAFER platform, which provides curated online safety resources and supports evidence-based educational approaches.
- Social media engagement and dissemination of ITU Child Online Protection guidelines and tools.
- Engagement through the ITU Council Working Group on Child Online Protection (CWG-COP) to foster dialogue among Member States and sector members.
- ITU will also amplify youth perspectives and promote meaningful child participation in discussions on online safety and AI governance, reinforcing the importance of listening to children’s experiences in shaping safer digital ecosystems.
- As Safer Internet Day 2026 focuses on emerging digital challenges, ITU will underline that innovation and protection must go hand in hand — ensuring that new technologies empower children while safeguarding their rights.
What we are doing to create a better internet...
Together for a better internet means ensuring that digital innovation advances — rather than undermines — the rights, safety and well-being of children.
ITU works with governments, industry, civil society and international partners to strengthen national child online protection frameworks, promote safety-by-design approaches, and advance child rights-based governance of emerging technologies, including artificial intelligence.
Through initiatives such as GO-SAFER, the Protection through Online Participation (PoP) Guiding Principles, and the Joint Statement on AI and Child Rights, ITU promotes coordinated, global action to ensure that children can safely access opportunities online and find protection and support when needed.
By fostering international cooperation and meaningful child participation, ITU contributes to building digital environments that are inclusive, empowering and safe for every child.
About us
The International Telecommunication Union (ITU) is the United Nations specialized agency for information and communication technologies (ICTs). ITU works to connect the world and ensure that digital transformation is inclusive, safe and sustainable — especially for children and young people.
Child Online Protection (COP) is a long-standing priority for ITU. Through its Telecommunication Development Bureau (BDT), ITU supports Member States in strengthening national legal and policy frameworks, building institutional capacity, and fostering multi-stakeholder cooperation to create safer digital environments for children.
ITU’s work spans:
- Development of national Child Online Protection frameworks and strategies
- Capacity-building for policymakers, regulators, educators, industry and children
- Global knowledge products and guidelines for governments and the ICT sector
- Promotion of meaningful child participation in digital governance processes
- Engagement with industry through dialogue platforms and global partnerships
ITU works closely with UN partners, governments, industry, civil society and academia to advance a rights-based approach to digital safety, aligned with the UN Convention on the Rights of the Child and relevant international frameworks.
Recent global initiatives include:
- GO-SAFER (Global Online Safety Alliance for Educational Resources) — a multi-stakeholder platform that facilitates access to high-quality, evidence-based online safety resources for educators, caregivers and policymakers.
- The Protection through Online Participation (PoP) Guiding Principles (2025), developed jointly with the Office of the UN Special Representative of the Secretary-General on Violence Against Children and over 30 partners, which provide practical guidance to transform digital spaces into accessible pathways to protection for children.
- The Joint Statement on Artificial Intelligence and Child Rights (2026), launched with more than 50 supporting organizations, calling for child rights-based AI governance and responsible innovation.
Through global dialogue platforms such as the ITU Council Working Group on Child Online Protection (CWG-COP), ITU serves as a convening authority to advance coordinated international action.
Additional links / resources
