4-5 December 2024
Abu Dhabi, United Arab Emirates and Online
Creating a safer digital world, free from child sexual exploitation and abuse for future generations
We are facing a global crisis. More than 300 million children a year are estimated to be victims of online sexual abuse and exploitation. It has never been more critical to drive global, transformative change in ending child sexual exploitation and abuse online.
On 4-5 December, WeProtect Global Alliance’s 2024 Global Summit, co-hosted by the Ministry of Interior of the United Arab Emirates, will take place in Abu Dhabi.
The 2024 Global Summit is our opportunity to create a different future for children online.
Join us as we foster collaboration and candid conversations among Ministers, innovators, tech leaders, civil society organisations, policymakers, and emerging changemakers. Together, we will explore and find tangible solutions to create a world where children are safeguarded from sexual exploitation and abuse online.
Summit programme
09:00 – 10:00
Opening and welcome
10:00 – 10:30
Keynote address: A focus on the humanity, tech and the future
We are in one of the most transformative times in human history. Over the next decade technology will evolve at a rapid rate, and new technological threats to children will continue to emerge. The places where children learn, play and interact will become increasingly borderless and the digital world an even bigger part of their lives. What implications does this have? How can humanity respond to keeping children safe online when technology is developing at such a rapid pace? What will the future look like for children online and what role do we have to play in changing the future?
10 :30 – 11:15
New horizons: emerging trends shaping the future
What are the key emerging risks that could shape the future of child protection over the next decade? WeProtect Global Alliance and Thorn will launch groundbreaking new research on global emerging technological trends, followed by a panel with global experts exploring proactive strategies to prevent child exploitation and abuse before harm occurs.
11.15 – 11:45
Refreshment break
11 :45 – 12 :45
Survivor perspectives: stepping up action for a safer future
Survivors of child sexual exploitation and abuse will take centre stage, sharing their personal stories, insights and visions to inspire a collective reimagining of how we approach child protection, advocate for policy changes and empower others to take action toward a safer, more compassionate world for children.
12 :45 – 13:45
Lunch and networking
13 :45 – 14 :45
Building the case for prevention
As child sexual abuse rates continue to grow, critical gaps in prevention and intervention strategies remain. This session will explore perspectives to strengthen our collective understanding and strategies for preventing abuse and make the case for continued investment and innovation in creating safer futures for children through development of a new global framework.
14 :45 – 15 :45
Exploring new trends and issues in depth
Breakout 1: Tackling the rise of AI-generated child sexual abuse material
From modifying and distorting existing images to creating deepfakes, AI is fuelling a wave of new challenges for child safety. This session features insights from law enforcement, technology experts, governments and regulators on the latest trends in AI-driven abuse and how they’re addressing current and emerging risks to children online.
Breakout 2: Health and wellbeing: looking after frontline responders
WeProtect Global Alliance and the Royal Canadian Mounted Police will present research on the health, wellbeing and work impacts of responding to online child sexual exploitation and abuse, including work-related risk and protective factors and recommendations to enhance work practices, build resilience and improve staff retention.
Breakout 3 : Emerging risks and solutions: insights on the ground
Organisations from across the world will share key insights following a series of consultations where they explored current and future issues and solutions. The sessions provide a useful roadmap for opportunities to strengthen national, regional and international collaboration.
Breakout 4: A roadmap for navigating the future of age assurance
Digital age assurance is a complex and sensitive issue, requiring a careful balancing of rights and risks. This session will bring together insights from policy, regulatory, industry, and civil society to share effective approaches and discuss how we can build a common global framework for understanding the age of users.
15:45 – 16:15
Refreshment break
16:15 – 17:15
National perspectives and future commitments to combat exploitation and abuse
Governments will discuss their progress in tackling child sexual exploitation and abuse online, outlining current challenges, sharing best practices and revealing their commitments to future actions. This session will not only reflect on past and present efforts but also focus on how countries plan to evolve and strengthen their strategies to effectively combat exploitation and abuse in the digital age.
17 :15
Close of Day 1
09:00 – 09:20
Keynote: Looking back, looking forward
Reflections on changes in child sexual exploitation and abuse and the key challenges ahead
09:20 – 10:00
Keynote: Hopes, reflections and creating a different future
As online risks continue to evolve, influential voices will share their visions, strategies, and commitments to creating a safer digital world.
10:00 – 10:15
MyVoice#MyFuture – youth film
Screening of a short film featuring voice of young people in two countries and their perspectives on their concerns, digital rights and the future world they would like to see online.
10:15 – 10:45
Refreshments and networking
10:45 – 11:45
A focus on the future: practical applications
Breakout 1 : #MyVoice#MySay – participation in practice
Alliance members from across sectors will bring to life innovative child-centred case studies and explore key standards and principles for ethical child and youth participation.
Breakout 2: Using AI in the fight against child sexual abuse
From clustering users on darknet forums to AI-driven analysis of support chats for children, World Childhood Foundation will share insights on how society can use artificial intelligence (AI) to advance the fight against child sexual abuse. Participants will gain insights into the potential of leveraging AI to keep children safe, and inspiration on how to engage in cross-sectoral collaborations.
Breakout 3 : How technology and new learning is shaping law enforcement
How is AI technology and new learning providing tools and opportunities for law enforcement around the world? This session will feature four case studies from leading law enforcement and academic professionals, highlighting the latest research and the
value of international collaboration across borders.
Breakout 4: Innovations and responding to future risks
As we continue to face new and emerging threats, we also need innovative ways to tackle them. This session will feature innovations being developed to protect children online. Praesidio Safeguarding will share work they have been doing with influencers in West Africa and shed light on some of the protection gaps children face in Africa and Asia, and
the solutions needed to safeguard them in the future. They will be joined by two technology organisations who will showcase their innovations in gaming and the work they have been doing to make gaming experiences safer.
11 :45 – 12:30
Uniting for impact: national and transnational state collaboration
As technology continues to outpace traditional methods of investigation and prosecution, governments and law enforcement agencies face growing challenges in combating online child sexual abuse and exploitation. This session will explore actionable strategies on how governments can strengthen legal frameworks, enhance international collaboration and support proactive measures to address transnational crimes.
12:30 – 13:30
Lunch and networking
13 :30 – 14:30
Shifting safety on a regional scale
International cooperation and globally aligned approaches are essential for ensuring that all children can explore the digital world without fear of abuse or violence. This panel will bring together high-level representatives from regional bodies across the world to share their respective and shared challenges, showcase successful initiatives and spark further action at the national and international level.
14 :30 – 15:30
The future of regulation
Can regulation keep pace with the rate of technological change? What’s on the horizon and how can be join up global responses to close the gaps? What needs to be done to support countries at the beginning of their regulatory journey? The session will look at key emerging issues, the impact of current regulations on child safety, and discuss the need for a coherent global framework with clear targets for the future.
15:30 – 16 :00
Refreshments and networking
16:00 – 16:30
Reframing the future: a new narrative
How we talk about child sexual exploitation and abuse online matters. Our words and language can make the difference between salience and dismissal, between hope and fatalism, between collective action and stepping back. How can the media, better storytelling and stronger narrative frameworks help to change the story?
16 :30 – 17:00
Closing address
Register now
Registrations are now open for the 2024 Global Summit. You can register to attend in person or to join online via our virtual platform.
What to expect
Join over 800 global experts, professionals, policymakers, and changemakers united by a common cause: to create a digital world where children are free from sexual exploitation and abuse. The Summit will ignite change worldwide through shared learning, united commitments, and innovative solutions.
Curious about what it’s like to attend a Global Summit? This video provides an inside look at the power of the Alliance in action during the 2022 Global Summit. Co-hosted by the European Commission, the event saw over 800 delegates gather virtually and in person at Palais d’Egmont in Brussels.
Iain Drennan, Executive Director
WeProtect Global Alliance
Guillaume Landry, Executive Director
ECPAT International
