The 6th Forum for Knowledge and Expertise Exchange (Knowledge Forum), held under the title: ‘The Sexual Exploitation of Children on the Internet’, was inaugurated by Major General Dr. Nasser Lakhrebani Al Nuaimi, Secretary General of the Office of HH Deputy Prime Minister and Minister of Interior, Chairman of the Higher Committee for Child Protection at the Ministry of Interior, and elected President of the Virtual Global Taskforce (VGT). The forum was held at the Forensic Evidence Hall in the Abu Dhabi Police General Headquarters (GHQ).

The Secretary General stressed that the UAE has initiated several steps in order to protect children from any attempts of abuse. “The Ministry of Interior has joined the VGT based on the commitment to implement and achieve the goals of the VGT,” he said.

He noted the keenness of the UAE to further develop strategic partnerships amongst VGT member countries in various fields in order to protect children from exploitation and to make the internet a more secure and useful place for them. He also noted that the UAE is keen to organize and develop joint programs and exercises; and to activate areas of research, training, education and information exchange on a larger scale. The country is additionally committed to developing laws and regulations to deter child offenders, and to firmly deal with the perpetrators by blocking the existing and future methods that target children via the internet.

Major General Al Nuaimi thanked the knowledge team at the Strategy and Performance Development Department for their distinguished efforts in organizing knowledge forums. He affirmed that the forum comes in preparations for the 2nd Global Summit for Ending Online Child Sexual Exploitation, which emerges from the cooperation agreements signed between the UAE MoI and the UK Home Office in the field of online protection for children from sexual exploitation.

During the forum, Johnny Gwynne, Director of the Child Exploitation & Online Protection Centre (CEOP) Command of the National Crime Agency (NCA), presented a paper on how to prevent children from online threats.

He stressed that since 1989, 194 countries have pledged to do all that they could to protect and promote the rights of children in order to ensure their wellbeing, education and growth. He added that despite such commitments, children are still exposed to abuse and are at risk in both high and low-income states. 

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