rki.news
Manama
The Arab Network of National Human Rights Institutions (ANNHRI), headquartered in Doha, organized its international conference titled “Protecting Children in the Digital Space: Challenges, Legislation, and Preventive Measures”, alongside its 25th General Assembly held in Bahrain on January 12–13. The event marked the transfer of the Network’s rotating presidency from Jordan’s National Centre for Human Rights to Bahrain’s National Institution for Human Rights for 2026.
Bahrain’s Minister of Social Development, Osama bin Saleh Al Alawi, praised the Arab Network for convening the high-level conference, emphasizing its importance amid accelerating global digital transformations. He noted that shared responsibilities to protect children’s rights are growing as digital technologies reshape societies, adding that the conference provides a leading platform for showcasing national experiences, exchanging regional and international expertise, and strengthening cooperation to safeguard children.
Al Alawi highlighted that while the digital space offers vast opportunities for learning and communication, it also poses increasing risks, making effective legislative and regulatory frameworks essential to ensure a safe digital environment for children. He congratulated Bahrain’s National Institution for Human Rights on assuming the Network’s presidency and thanked ANNHRI for its continued efforts in advancing human rights and Arab cooperation.
Former ANNHRI President Samar Al-Haj Hassan stated that the conference reflects the Network’s long-standing commitment, since its establishment in Nouakchott in 2011, to addressing emerging human rights issues through a participatory and comprehensive approach. She stressed that protecting children in the digital space is a natural extension of the Network’s mission to uphold dignity and justice across the Arab region.
Ali Ahmed Al-Derazi, President of Bahrain’s National Institution for Human Rights, described the conference as an important dialogue platform addressing rising digital threats facing children, including exploitation, cyberbullying, privacy violations, and data misuse. He underlined the need for continuous legislative development, preventive measures, and effective protection mechanisms that keep pace with rapid technological change.
ANNHRI Secretary-General Sultan bin Hassan Al-Jamali emphasized that the digital space has become integral to children’s lives, offering benefits while exposing them to growing cyber threats, particularly in conflict-affected regions. He called for integrated institutional responses based on international standards, stronger regional and international partnerships, and enhanced digital governance.
Al-Jamali added that the conference outcomes will be incorporated into the Network’s future action plans, reaffirming a collective commitment to protecting children’s digital rights, strengthening national institutions, and upholding universal human rights principles worldwide.