The signatories of the State Pact to protect minors in the digital realm – the European Association for Digital Transition, Dale una Vuelta, Fundación ANAR, iCmedia, Save the Children and UNICEF Spain – continue their work to strengthen this citizens’ initiative.
A recent milestone in their efforts was a work meeting with Her Majesty Queen Letizia, held at the Palacio de la Zarzuela. At this meeting, key representatives from the entities that have promoted the Pact stressed the urgency of a coordinated, rigorous response based on political and social consensus to face the impact that technologies are having on the well-being of minors.
The Pact, conceived from the outset to overcome partisan struggles and political polarization, is structured as a roadmap that proposes fifteen concrete measures in areas such as access to technology, mental health, digital education and the responsibility of the platforms. These are cross-cutting proposals, whose implementation depends on different levels of the public administration.
As highlighted by the Royal Household of Spain itself, the meeting chaired by Queen Letizia represents an important step in the visibility and institutional impetus of this proposal, which now looks to gain traction in the parliamentary sphere to become a legislative reality that effectively protects children and adolescents.
A citizens’ initiative for the long haul
The EADT was represented at the meeting by Ricardo Rodríguez Contreras, president of the organisation, and Ana María Caballero, its vice president and a strong promoter of the State Pact, an initiative she began working on in mid-2023.
Also participating in the meeting were Teresa Gisbert, chief prosecutor for the Juvenile Unit at the Attorney General’s Office; Gustavo Suárez-Pertierra, president of UNICEF Spain; Ignacio Guadix, head of Education and Children’s Digital Rights at UNICEF Spain; Catalina Perazzo, director-general of Save the Children Spain; Silvia Moroder de León and Benjamín Ballesteros, president and technical spokesperson of Fundación ANAR, respectively; José Luis Colás and María Pellico, president and vice president of iCmedia; and Blanca Elía and Jorge Gutiérrez Berlinches, president and secretary of Dale Una Vuelta.
The proposal for a State Pact, promoted by the six entities mentioned above, has been formally supported by more than 200 civil society organizations. Moreover, it has institutional support from the Spanish Data Protection Agency and from the Attorney General’s Office. Details on its content can be found on the website www.pactomenoresdigitales.org.
