The State of Qatar has reaffirmed the necessity of ensuring that child protection from violence remains in the core of the post-2015 development plan as a priority and called for looking at children's best interests as a common interest in all other objectives.
Noor Al Sada, second secretary at Qatar's permanent delegation to Geneva, made the remarks as she addressed the session of interactive dialogue with the United Nations special representative of the secretary general on violence against children as part of the 28th session of the U.N. Human Rights Council (UNHRC).
Al Sada hailed the efforts of the special representative of the secretary general on violence against children and the special representative of the secretary general for children and armed conflict in preparing their annual report for UNHRC.
On challenges related to children's use of new information technology and communications, Al Sada said Qatar took notice of that issue and conducted studies and held seminars and workshops in order to find the proper ways of enabling children to attain the maximum benefit from this technology and help them avoid its risks.
She added that the Ministry of Information and Communications Technology, in association with the Supreme Education Council (SEC), has launched cyber safety learning program (Haseen), which aims to raise awareness of the young generations about the definitions and concepts of cyber safety and security, develop an aware culture, create a healthy environment in the cyber space in the Qatari society.
As for the report of the special representative of the secretary general for children and armed conflict, Al Sada praised the progress made in the "Children, Not Soldiers" campaign, expressing hope that it will achieve its objectives by 2016.
She voiced hope that the campaign will extend to cover nongovernment armed forces in order to put an end to the use of children in armed conflicts.
She stressed Qatar's interest in protecting educational facilities from any military attacks as this would have negative impact on children's right to education, pointing to the program of protecting the right to education in insecurity and armed conflict, a global initiative spearheaded by HH Sheikha Moza bint Nasser, the UNESCO special envoy for basic and higher education, which aims to provide education opportunities, particularly in communities suffering from poverty and conflicts.