The Days of General Discussion of the Committee on the Rights of the Child (DGD) seek to foster a deeper understanding of specific articles or topics of the Convention on the Rights of the Child by providing a forum for discussion between policy-makers, practitioners and researchers with the Committee.

On 12 September 2014, the Committee devoted its twenty-first Day of General Discussion to “Digital Media and Children’s Rights”. The objective was to analyse the effects of children’s engagement with social media and information and communications technologies (ICTs), in order to better understand the impact on and role of children’s rights in this area, and develop rights-based strategies to maximize the online opportunities for children while protecting them from risks and possible harm without restricting any benefits.

Following an opening plenary featuring presentations by four experts, discussions proceeded in two parallel Working Groups. The first Working Group on “Children’s equal and safe access to digital media and ICT” focused on measures to ensure equal and safe access to the Internet and digital media for all children irrespective of their sex, socio-economic status, geographical location, language, cultural context or disability, including how to overcome barriers and address risks children face without limiting their access. The second Working Group on “Children’s empowerment and engagement through digital media and ICT” examined how children use the Internet for creative purposes, their engagement in matters that affect them and the factors that promote and enable their participation, while discussing the risks they face in this context.

This report summarizes the main aspects of the DGD discussions.