This document represents a turning point in European local politics, because for the first time it defines in a systematic way how the city should protect, empower and include children and young people in the digital environment, from safety on the Internet, through equal access to technologies, to the right to participate in decision-making.
The special value of the Charter lies in the fact that it was written together with young people. Hundreds of children and young people from Vienna participated in its creation through school workshops, online consultations, DIDays student day and the final conference held in June last year.
In this way, Vienna applied the principles of the UN Convention on the Rights of the Child in practice, especially the right to participation, the right to have the voice of young people heard and respected.
– As a city of human rights, Vienna wants children and young people to feel their digital rights in everyday life. The Internet must be a safe place, not a space of insecurity and exclusion – said the deputy mayor and member of the city government for education and youth Bettina Emmerling.
The Vienna Charter is part of the wider Strategy for Children and Youth of the City of Vienna (2020–2025), whose goal is to make Vienna the friendliest city for children and youth in the world. The process was jointly led by the Office for Human Rights of the City of Vienna and the Vienna Office for the Protection of Children and Youth.
– This is another important step towards a city where young people are heard, protected and empowered – said Shams Asadi, Commissioner for Human Rights of the City of Vienna.
With the adoption of the Charter, its practical application begins. The charter will ensure that the real lives of young people are taken into account in future city policies. In the coming years, the document will serve as a basis for new measures and policies, with the aim of making digital spaces safer, more inclusive and more democratic, in cooperation with children and young people.
A message that can be an inspiration for cities and countries in the region, where issues of digital safety for children are becoming increasingly important, reports the Office of the City of Vienna in Sarajevo.
(Vijesti.ba / FENA)
