Education Minister Ahmed Al-Issa.

Education Minister Ahmed Al-Issa will inaugurate on Tuesday the “Media: The Friend of Childhood” forum at the Education Ministry.

More than 20 national and international experts will participate in the three-day event, organized by the ministry’s National Committee for Childhood (NCC).

Dr. Wafaa Al-Salih, NCC secretary general, said the “forum comes after intensive studies dealing with the current situation of media and its impact on the Arab child in general and Saudis in particular.”

Al-Salih said the committee “is very keen to discuss all theoretical and practical issues related to childhood during various activities and platforms, aiming to find the optimal environment for the child that meets the rapid-paced development that we are living with.”

She added that the forum is aimed at media people including writers, reporters, journalists and anchors in national media, as well as civil society institutions, especially those with experience in covering child and family issues.

She said the forum also aims to provide participants with a solid background about professional principles related to the rights of children, and to enable activation of their role in supporting, promoting and adhering to those rights.

The forum will include three main pillars. The first will argue the charters and agreement of a child’s rights and the status of its application.

The second pillar will discuss professional guidelines on how the Arab media should deal with child issues and rights.

The third will be dedicated to media morals and displaying children’s experiences in media and education.

The forum will be organized in partnership with the Arab Council for Childhood and Development (ACCD), the Arab Gulf Development Program (AGFUND) and UNICEF in Arab Gulf countries.

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