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Child helpline conference to share expertise begins

ABU DHABI — The second international Middle East and North Africa consultation conference for child helpline kicked off in the capital yesterday. It will continue till Wednesday.

The conference, organised by Child Helpline International (CHI), in association with the Social Policing Department in Abu Dhabi Police, is being attended by respresentatives of several global child helpline organisations.

The child helpline international was formed to look after the welfare of the children affected by natural disasters, war situations and other conflicts and also to rehabilitate and educate the destitute children.

The organisation is a global network of child helplines with 72 members in 61 countries. Child Protection is at the core of all telephone helplines for children and young people, covering a wide range of behaviours that, from the child’s perspective, harms children in some way.

The meeting will act as a platform to exchange expertise, resources and experiences of different centres and provide technical support between helpline centres.

It will also discuss issues and challenges faced by countries in achieving its objectives.

The organisation aims at responding to children in need of care and protection throughout the world and to make their needs and feelings known to policy and decision-makers nationally and internationally. It facilitates the sharing of information, experience and resources amongst child helplines to ensure the utilisation of regional level expertise and that each country develops its own unique helpline model.

Delegates participating in the four-day conference will also attend training sessions pertaining to children.