[child-rights] Council of Europe empowers children to deal with both positive and negative sides of the Internet and other new technologies

Strasbourg, 29.09.2006 -- The Council of Europe's Committee of Ministers
has called on member states to make information technology an integral
part of school education from an early age, to help children maximise
benefits and avoid pitfalls of the Internet and other new technologies.

The 46-member Council of Europe is taking a positive approach to deal with
harmful content on the Web, partly in response to the dangers posed by the
Internet.

Measures approved in a new Committee of Ministers' Recommendation include
giving children the skills to create, produce and distribute content in
new technologies, respecting the rights and freedoms of others while also
promoting their own right to freedom of expression.

The recommendation calls for member states to ensure that these skills
enable children to better understand and deal with questionable content,
including violence, pornography, discrimination and racism.

In addition, the forthcoming Council of Europe Pan-European Forum in
Yerevan, Armenia, on 5 and 6 October 2006 will bring together
representatives of Council of Europe member states, civil society, the
private sector, academia and the media, and other interested
organisations.

"Empowering children to use the Internet is the best filter," said Maud de
Boer-Buquicchio, Council of Europe Deputy Secretary General, several days
ahead of the forum.

The forum will stress that filtering and labelling Internet content is not
enough to ensure that children and young people can surf the web safely --
in the exercise of their rights and freedoms, including the freedom to
hold opinions and to receive and impart information and ideas.

Children and young people need to be, and to feel, empowered when using
the Internet, so they can competently use its tools and services and
critically analyse Internet content and communications. By equipping them
and their educators with appropriate skills and knowledge, they will be
able to exercise their rights and freedoms fully and responsibly, to
improve their development and well-being online.

On the web: http://www.coe.int/T/E/Human_Rights/media . 

Council of Europe Press Division 
Tel: +33 (0)3 88 41 25 60 
Fax:+33 (0)3 88 41 39 11