Al Shuwaikh highlights national efforts to protect children's rights in digital environment
Geneva, Oct. 22 (BNA): Bahrain's parliamentary delegation participated in a workshop on "Children’s Rights in the Digital Environment", held on the sidelines of the 151st Assembly of the Inter-Parliamentary Union (IPU) in Switzerland.
Dr. Mahdi Abdulaziz Al Shuwaikh, Member of the Council of Representatives, emphasised that Bahrain represents a leading model in safeguarding children's rights in the digital environment. He highlighted the country’s legislative, regulatory, and community-based efforts aimed at ensuring a safe online space that enables children to benefit from the educational and knowledge-based opportunities offered by modern technology, while being protected from risks such as cyberbullying, exploitation, and digital violence.
Dr. Al Shuwaikh explained that the rapid pace of digital transformation around the world, despite its wide-ranging benefits for learning and creativity, also poses real challenges that demand a comprehensive legislative and regulatory response. He stressed that the responsibility of protecting children in the digital space has become a global issue requiring coordinated parliamentary and international efforts to ensure children's digital safety and shield them from online threats and misinformation.
Dr. Al Shuwaikh highlighted Bahrain’s strong legislative commitment to protecting children in the digital space, noting the enactment of laws that criminalise exploitation and abuse, and impose tougher penalties for cybercrimes against minors. He emphasised the legislature’s ongoing oversight of national cybersecurity strategies to ensure children's rights are embedded in digital protection policies.
He also pointed to continued efforts to raise public awareness through programmes targeting children and families, implemented in partnership with government bodies, civil society, and international organisations. He stressed that safeguarding children online requires collective action from families, schools, and society as a whole to create a safe, respectful, and empowering digital environment.
Dr. Al Shuwaikh emphasised that protecting children online is now a global responsibility, not just a national one. He called for stronger cooperation between parliaments to develop laws in line with international agreements, and stressed the need to make children's digital rights a key part of the global parliamentary agenda, so that technology supports and empowers future generations rather than putting them at risk.
