MBABANE – The Eswatini Communications Commission (ESCCOM), with support from the International Telecommunications Union (ITU), convened a national stakeholder workshop this week to develop a Child Online Protection Strategy as part of this year’s Month of the Child activities.
The consultative session, held in Mbabane, brought together key partners from across government and civil society. Present were representatives from the Office of the Deputy Prime Minister, Ministry of Education, Royal Eswatini Police Service, UNICEF, UNESCO, REPS, the Office of the Director of Public Prosecutions, the Youth Board, CANGO, and other child-focused organisations.
ESCCOM Chief Executive, Mvilawemphi Dlamini, opened the workshop with a moment of remembrance for children who have been victims of recent violent crimes. He reiterated the role of the newly established Cybersecurity Agency in strengthening digital protections for young users. 
The Ministry of ICT shared updates on government programmes designed to teach responsible online behaviour among school-age children. Other presentations covered existing legal protections and enforcement gaps.
Mrs. Sibongile Dlamini, representing the Office of the DPM, outlined Eswatini’s current legal framework for child safety and gave an update on national efforts to combat digital risks faced by children.
Discussions throughout the day centred on building a unified strategy that will guide Eswatini’s response to cyber threats targeting minors. Organisers say the input from this session will feed into a national Child Online Protection Strategy set to be finalised later this year.
