DILI, 23 June 2025 (TATOLI) — Timor-Leste today hosted the National ICT Forum on Child Online Protection at Hotel Timor, marking a significant step in the country’s efforts to ensure children’s safety in the digital world. Co-organized by the Government of Timor-Leste, the Ministry of Transport and Communications, INDDICA, ChildFund, and UNICEF, the event brought together high-level government officials, international partners, civil society, the private sector, and youth representatives to address the urgent and growing threats faced by children online.
The forum was officially opened in the presence of Vice Prime Minister Mariano Assanami Sabino and President of INDDICA, Dinorrah Granadeiro, and featured keynote remarks by UNICEF Representative to Timor-Leste, Patrizia DiGiovanni.
This forum is a powerful reflection of our collective resolve to protect children in the digital age,” said DiGiovani. “As we gather here today, we are reminded that the internet—while a gateway to knowledge, opportunity, and innovation—can also be a space of danger for children.”
DiGiovanni noted that the forum was held as a follow-up to the recent ASEAN regional forum in Bali, with the goal of deepening understanding of child online protection and fostering a collective approach to ensuring children’s digital safety.
She explained that online exploitation, abuse, and harmful content are not distant or abstract threats; they are real, urgent, and growing challenges that demand our immediate and coordinated response. “As we saw on Friday during landscape analysis there are real risks and harm occurring for children in Timor-Leste and we need to act collectively to protect them.”
Globally, UNICEF has been leading efforts to enhance child online protection by working with governments, law enforcement, private companies, and communities to prevent online sexual exploitation and abuse, strengthen legal frameworks, and amplify children’s voices in shaping digital policies.
She also expressed gratitude to the Government of Australia for its financial support to convene the forum, and acknowledged the dedication of the organizing committee, including ANC, TIC Timor of the Ministry of Transport and Communications, INDDICA, ChildFund, and UNICEF teams.
The forum concluded with a call to action for all stakeholders to collaborate on national strategies, policies, and programs that place children’s safety and digital well-being at the center.
“Let us use this platform to listen to each other, to learn from global and regional experiences, and to forge a path forward that is inclusive, coordinated, and child centered. Together, we can build a digital environment where every child is safe, empowered, and protected,” DiGiovani concluded.
Journalist: Camilio de Sousa
Editor: Filomeno Martins
