RIYADH — The Saudi Human Rights Commission (HRC) in cooperation with UNICEF conducted a virtual panel discussion entitled, “Child Protections: From Child Labor to Cybercrime,” this week. The event brought together experts from the Saudi government, UNICEF, and the Global Rainforest Alliance, attracting more than 100 Saudi and international attendees. Sarah Al-Tamimi, the commission’s deputy for international cooperation, opened the event by stressing the importance of global child protections amid the COVID-19 pandemic and closing gaps for potential exploitation. According to Al-Tamimi, “Empowering youth is a central plank of Vision 2030 and bolstering child protections is part and parcel to this. Events such as today’s webinar highlight the need for international cooperation in protecting children and stamping out child labor, whether online or in international supply chains. We all have a role to play.” Next, Dr. Sherin Al-Oufi (family affairs council) outlined the Kingdom’s efforts in protecting child rights, while Dr. Hind Al-Khalifah (Human Rights Commission) discussed the importance of online protections, and Sheikh Waleed Al-Hassan (Public Prosecution) talked about specific legal safeguards for children. UNICEF’s Javier Aguilar discussed global trends in child labor amid COVID-19, emphasizing saying: “The impact of COVID 19 is likely to have a negative impact on child labor if no action is taken to support families and reimagine education. The children the most at risk live in countries with overlapping crises such as war, forced displacement, natural disasters. COVID-19 is already exacerbating pre-existing vulnerabilities.” Meanwhile, UNICEF’s Saji Thomas explored best practices for ending child labor, stressing: “Addressing child labor is most effective when we adopt a systems-strengthening approach that looks at the full range of vulnerabilities and have plans and programs that provides sustainable solutions. Investing in social work force is critical to this approach.” Kunera Moore from the Global Rainforest Alliance added yet another diverse perspective to the panel, stressing the importance of public-private partnerships in eradicating child labor from international supply chains. The event is the second in a series of online panel discussions hosted by the Human Rights Commission. — SG