Topic: 2025 – Protecting and Empowering Youth in Digital Spaces
Country: Peru
Delegate Name: Maddy Langlois
Human Rights Council (HRC)
Protecting and Empowering Youth in Digital Spaces
Republic of Peru
Maddy Langlois
Forest Hills Northern
The spread of technology and youths’ access to digital spaces has increased which has led to many negative effects. Some negative examples of social media and digital spaces are loneliness, cyber bullying, hate speeches, sexual exploitation and abuse. According to Safe Online children and youth are extremely exposed to this in Peru through online gaming. Also according to Safe Online, up to 20% of 12-17 year olds across 13 countries experienced online sexual exploitation in a one year span. and abuse Children who don’t have the proper resources and explanation of the currently in place protection systems could be faced with these issues on a daily basis.
Peru has many organizations in place to help protect youth. One organization CHS, helps youth in video game spaces. One solution CHS has is integrating a reporting system into the gaming platforms where reports are direct and seen. CHS also educated key figures who were influential to youth and spread awareness of exploitation. Peru’s legislation has several ways to handle online CSEA. Including both of these: Act No. 27337, Code of Children and Adolescents; Act No. 30254, Promotion Law for the safe and responsible use of Information and Communication Technologies by Children and Adolescents and the Multi-Sectoral National Policy for Girls, Boys and Adolescents. Additionally after the pandemic Peru had a 10x increase in child sexual abuse material (CSAM) online. While Peru has committed to many international policies to protect youth some policies have not been adopted yet. Fraudulent online job offers, online grooming and scams have been used to sexually exploit children. While Peru has some policies in place to protect youth, there is still a long way to go to protect them more.
In conclusion, the Republic of Peru would like to collaborate with other countries to empower and protect youth online. To help protect youth Peru would like to spread awareness on the dangers online and how to avoid and combat them. Peru would do this by giving educators and adults resources to help youth recognize and combat these online dangers. Giving youth the education of how to deal with these situations empowers them to take charge and spread awareness themselves.
Sources
https://www.un.org/en/global-issues/child-and-youth-safety-online
https://safeonline.global/power-of-solidarity-peru/
https://safeonline.global/a-major-victory-for-children-in-peru-as-country-brings-in-new-law-to-tackle-online-csea/
https://www.humanium.org/en/peru/
