Landmark summit agrees collaboration between agencies in the fight against online child exploitation. INHOPE and INSAFE’s North Regional Meeting of the EC Safer Internet networks met on 1st & 2nd April to bring together a coalition of stakeholders from the participating countries to discuss the opportunities and challenges facing Hotlines*, Awareness Nodes and Helplines in the future, whilst adapting to the changing environment of the digital world.

The meeting, “Cooperation and Coalition in the fight against illegal and harmful content on the Internet”, has for the first time brought together experts from over 15 countries to address the specific region of Finland, Denmark, Sweden, Norway, Iceland, Latvia, Lithuania, Estonia and Russia. Hotlines, Awareness Nodes, Helplines, international and national police forces, government representatives, child protection agencies and internet industry experts met to discuss and explore Internet safety issues and regional and global issues.

Finnish Minister of Communications Suvi Lindén on opening the summit commented that “the topic of today is cooperation and coalition in the fight against illegal and harmful content on the Internet. Given the borderless nature of the Internet, it is crucial to exchange views on an international level. I am pleased that the European Commission has been so active in supporting Safer Internet work all around Europe and even beyond. Working together – both nationally and internationally – is the key to good practices and possible solutions”

The year 2009 marks the ten-year anniversary of INHOPE, the International Association of Internet Hotlines. A Hotline is where the general public can report illegal internet content such as child sexual abuse images. To encourage new Hotline initiatives worldwide, INHOPE, in cooperation with the EC and INSAFE, is prioritising countries where illegal material can potentially be hosted or produced and countries which are deemed to be important in the fight against illegal and harmful material online.

Richard Swetenham of the European Commission said that “the European Unionsupports complementary actionsin order to keep youngsters safe online through the Safer Internet Programme. The INHOPE network of Hotlines fights against distribution of child sexual abuse material, and the INSAFE network of Awareness centresand Helplines informs parents, teachers and children on risksandsolutions for staying safe online.TheEuropean Commissionwelcomes thismeetingwhere expertsfrom northern Europe willsharetheirexperience.I am sure it will allow stronger coordination and joint efforts to make the Internet safer for our children.”

Child welfare professionals, a youth panel and policy makers united to discuss the challenges and opportunities facing the Safer Internet Projects. The breakout sessions and workshops gave Internet specialists from INHOPE and Law Enforcement partners the opportunity to discuss preventative measures to deal with the immediate danger of online predators.

Closing the meeting, Chairman Ruben Rodriguez, President of INHOPE said “Our children are our future and we must all do whatever possible to keep them safe. Protecting them requires close cooperation and collaboration between agencies tasked with keeping them out of harms way. Creating a philosophy of working in harmony to achieve a common goal is the benchmark for success”.

Hotlines have proven to be an effective first line of defence against illegal content online. Over the past ten years INHOPE has gained a substantial and unique wealth of experience in helping to make the Internet a safer place.

INHOPE/INSAFE North Regional Meeting, Save the Children Finland, Helsinki, Finland, 1^st & 2^nd April 2009

About INHOPE

INHOPE, the International Association of Internet Hotlines, was founded in 1999 under the European Commission’s Safer Internet Action Plan to represent and coordinate a global network of Hotlines.

The mission of INHOPE is to support and enhance the performance of Internet Hotlines around the World, ensuring swift action is taken in responding to reports of illegal action, making the internet a safer place. A Hotline is where the general public can report illegal internet content such as child sexual abuse images. The Hotline confidentially reviews each report, referring illegal material onto the relevant law enforcement agencies or Internet Service Providers for further action.

Today, there are thirty three members of INHOPE worldwide, including members from Europe, Asia, North America and Australia. Through meeting regularly to share knowledge and best practice, INHOPE and its members are working to tackle the global problem of illegal content online – and succeeding. www.inhope.org

About INSAFE

INSAFE is the European Safer Internet awareness-raising network co-funded by the European Commission. It comprises national contact centres across the European Union and in Iceland and Norway, with partner organisations in Argentina, Australia and the USA. Insafe aims at empowering users to benefit from the positive aspects of internet whilst avoiding the potential risks. www.saferinternet.org

About Save the Children Finland

Save the Children Finland works actively to advance the use of safe medias and to prevent and intervene in problems related to digital media. The organisation has expertise in the phenomenon of the sexual abuse of children and the preceding process of child grooming.

Save the Children works to increase the presence of reliable adults in web services used by children and young people by developing models of operation and support services for the internet. We also educate professionals working with or for the benefit of children on these subjects.

Save the Children's internet safety activities are funded by the Safer Internet Plus programme of the European Commission, the Finnish Slot Machine Association RAY, the Ministry of Transport and Communications of Finland, and various Finnish companies, foundations and private donors.

About Safer Internet plus programme

The Safer Internet plus programme aims to promote safer use of the Internet and new online technologies, particularly for children, and to fight against illegal content and content unwanted by the end-user, as part of a coherent approach by the European Union.

INHOPE Press Contact:

Kerry Gordon

INHOPE Marketing & Communications Coordinator
25 Sandyford Office Park, Dublin 18, Ireland
e: kerry.gordon@inhope.org
w: www.inhope.org
m: +353 87 99 614 99