WCF USA's Dr. Joanna Rubinstein will also co-chair the newly launched Working Group of the Commission on Child Safety Online
NEW YORK, NY / ACCESSWIRE / December 18, 2018 / World Childhood Foundation USA (WCF USA), also known as Childhood USA, today announced that its President and CEO, Dr. Joanna Rubinstein, as well as WCF USA Board of Directors member and Verizon Communications CEO, Hans Vestberg, have been appointed as commissioners of The International Telecommunication Union (ITU) UNESCO Broadband Commission for Sustainable Development.
Dr. Rubinstein has also been made co-chair of the Broadband Commission's newly established Working Group on Child Safety Online. Joining Dr. Rubinstein as co-chair is Scott Gegenheimer, the Zain Group, CEO - Operations.
The ITU, an agency of United Nations (UN), and UNESCO established the Broadband Commission for Digital Development with the aim of boosting the importance of broadband on the international policy agenda, and expanding broadband access in every country as key to accelerating progress towards national and international development targets. Following adoption of the UN's Sustainable Development Goals in September 2015, the Commission was re-launched as the Broadband Commission for Sustainable Development to showcase and document the power of ICT and broadband-based technologies for sustainable development.
'It's a great honor and opportunity to be appointed as a commissioner of the ITU UNESCO Broadband Commission for Sustainable Development along with this esteemed group of industry, government and the UN system leaders,' said Dr. Rubinstein. 'Childhood has had a long-standing focus on investing in solutions that address child sexual abuse and exploitation online starting with supporting NetClean, one of the first commercial efforts detecting the use of child sexual abuse material on internet. The new Working Group is an important opportunity to prioritize child safety online by developing concrete recommendations for action by the key stakeholders.'
Dr. Rubinstein added, 'Considering all the benefits of connectivity, especially in the developing countries, we need collective action of all the players to minimize the risk children are exposed to today while on line. In January, The Economist Intelligence Unit supported by Childhood, the Oak Foundation and the Carlson Family Foundation will launch the first benchmarking index on response to child sexual abuse. It looks also at the response of the information and communications industry to keep children safe online.'
WCF's technology-focused initiatives include engagement of the private sector, in particular the information and communication technology companies, and their use of technology to fight the universal problem of child sexual abuse. This includes the Stewards of Children Prevention Toolkit mobile app, which WCF USA developed in partnership with Darkness2Light and the global telecom company, Ericsson. The app helps to educate adults about how to reduce the risks and recognize the signs of abuse; how to talk to children and react to a suspicion or disclosure of abuse.
In addition to her leadership roles with WCF and the Broadband Commission, Dr. Rubinstein is a board member of the Global Partnership to End Violence Against Children and a member of the Sustainable Development Solutions Network (SDSN) leadership council.
WCF USA acts as a funder, advocate and a global thought leader. Its work aligns with the UN Sustainable Development Goal (SDG) 16, furthering target 16.2: ending abuse, exploitation, trafficking and all forms of violence against and torture of children by 2030. To that end, WCF USA facilitates the global exchange of expertise and engages in the development of strategic partnerships with UN agencies, the private sector, academia and civil society.
World Childhood Foundation (WCF)
WCF envisions a world where all children are free from violence, sexual abuse, and exploitation. Founded in 1999 by H.M. Queen Silvia of Sweden, WCF invests in the development of solutions to prevent and address child sexual abuse and exploitation. WCF, a UN accredited NGO, directly supports >100 projects globally and raises awareness about our cause. WCF's work is aligned with the global Sustainable Development Goal 16.2 - ending abuse, exploitation, trafficking and all forms of violence against and torture of children by 2030. In 2019, together with The Economist Intelligence Unit, the Oak Foundation and the Carlson Family Foundation, WCF will launch the first-ever country benchmarking tool for child sexual abuse and exploitation. For more information, please visit our website: www.childhood-usa.org.
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SOURCE: World Childhood Foundation USA
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