Definition
- Good governance brings together those with a responsibility to protect children from online sexual exploitation and is a multi-stakeholder, cross-sector national body or bodies (herewith referred to as body)
- There is no one model that the multi-stakeholder body should adopt: it might be responsible for the overall governance and oversight of a country’s capability and capacity to prevent and respond to online CSEA, or simply act as a body for coordinating work across government, industry and civil society.Where countries already have an overall child protection group or a body that covers wider digital citizenship, cybersecurity, violence against children or child rights, this function might be assumed within that existing mechanism.
- Ideally this is a government-led body.For an effective response, civil society and industry should be fully involved.
- The national body could comprise senior level representation from: relevant government departments (such as Ministries of Interior, Justice, Social Welfare/Children’s Services, Education, Health, Telecommunications); Law enforcement; Judiciary, Non-governmental organisations; Technology/ICT industry and other relevant industry sectors (such as tourism); Faith-based organisations; and other specialist agencies working on CSEA and violence against children.
- The body could be responsible for mobilising and coordinating the national response to CSEA, and for identifying and promoting action to address gaps identified through the Model National Response.
- The body could also assist with the dissemination of knowledge and expertise on CSEA to national and local service providers and encourage a multi-stakeholder approach to working at both national and local levels.
- The body might identify, secure and coordinate any support required from international organisations and be the national point of contact with international initiatives and networks relating to CSEA.At the domestic level; it will also need to ensure coherence with other national policies, platforms and action plans on violence against children more generally, child rights, cybersecurity and digital citizenship.
Why is it needed?
- To enable a national programme of activity to prevent and tackle CSEA to be collectively agreed and progress to be monitored and reported.
- The greater sharing of expertise and information will inform and enhance each stakeholder’s existing practice, leading to the improvement of services and capability nationally and restricting the ability of offenders to operate internationally.
- A national body will ensure active and coordinated participation in global initiatives to tackle CSEA such as WePROTECT which will enhance international cooperation and enable the sharing of good practice internationally.
- Using the national body to coordinate any support from the international community will ensure that the support is focussed on priority areas for development based on the country’s needs.