Minister for Women’s Empowerment and Child Protection, Bintang Puspayoga, on Wednesday invited all parties to jointly build digital resilience for children in ASEAN so that they can become better human beings in the future.
“Technology has provided us with extraordinary convenience and advantages, but we must realize that technology also brings dangers,” Puspayoga said at the opening ceremony of the 7th ASEAN Children’s Forum (ACF) in Jakarta on Wednesday.
Therefore, in this fast-paced digitalization era, it must be ensured that children get the maximum benefit from technology, she added.
“But stay safe from the dangers under a guiding team that builds digital resilience for children in ASEAN,” the minister said.
The pandemic period accelerated the growth and use of technology, she noted. Children also became highly dependent on technology to learn and even interact with each other.
The 7th ASEAN Children’s Forum aims to be a platform for children from the region to discuss, exchange ideas, best practices, and produce recommendations on digital literacy, including creating a cyberspace that is safe for mental health.
The implementation of the 7th ACF also reflects the hard work of the Children’s Forum, starting from concept determination, team selection, to merchandise design, which deserves appreciation, Minister Puspayoga said.
The 7th ACF has brought together children from across ASEAN so it has become a strategic platform for communicating the voices of children in the ASEAN region for the future.
“It is our great hope that the 7th ASEAN Children’s Forum will become a springboard for children in the region to stay connected and work together in the spirit of the ASEAN community to ensure the fulfillment of children’s special rights in protection,” Puspayoga said.
President Joko Widodo (Jokowi) earlier presented strategies, with a focus on innovation, digital economy, and green economy, to ASEAN entrepreneurs at a meeting on the sidelines of the 40th and 41st ASEAN Summit in Phnom Penh, Cambodia.
“Despite the world facing waves of crisis, the regional economic outlook remains positive, and ASEAN remains the fifth major economy in the world,” the President noted in his remarks, according to a statement issued last Friday.
Accompanied by Coordinating Minister for Economic Affairs Airlangga Hartarto, the President proposed strategies for maintaining short-term and long-term ASEAN economic resilience.
“Speed and accuracy in our adaptation are key to achieving economic resilience in ASEAN,” he said.
The Indonesian President underlined that adaptive government macro-prudential policies, financial sector stability, economic development stimulation, and a forward-looking private sector, among others, are necessary for achieving the goals of the strategies.
“Competitive innovation, digital economy, and green economy are ASEAN’s future,” he said regarding the strategies for achieving long-term economic competitiveness.
While the digital economy can bolster productivity and expand market access, the green economy can ensure sustainable growth of the ASEAN community, he added.
Source: Antara News