National Delegate Confirms Child Cyber Unit Launch
Algeria is set to enhance its child protection framework with the imminent launch of a dedicated cybernetic surveillance unit and the introduction of a new practical guide for interveners. Meriem Cherfi, the National Delegate for Child Protection, confirmed these developments, highlighting the nation's proactive measures against emerging threats such as cyberviolence and other forms of abuse targeting children. These initiatives underscore Algeria's commitment to fortifying child welfare through comprehensive and integrated institutional strategies.
The upcoming cybernetic surveillance unit is specifically designed to combat cyberviolence, operating twenty-four hours a day to identify publications that threaten child safety, along with hate speech or discriminatory acts. This specialized structure will comprise agents and officers from the judicial police, drawn from both the National Gendarmerie and the General Directorate of National Security, alongside expert specialists. Its development forms a crucial part of the national action plan for childhood spanning 2026-2030, which has been in its finalization phase for several months. This initiative responds to recent statistics from the General Directorate of National Security and the National Gendarmerie indicating a progression in cybercrime cases.
Complementing the surveillance unit, the National Authority for Child Protection and Promotion, in coordination with relevant sectors, has prepared a practical guide for interveners aimed at protecting children from all forms of violence. This multi-faceted approach reflects a national understanding that child protection is an integrated institutional responsibility, as emphasized by Sheikh Mohamed El Mamoun El Kacimi El Hassani, Dean of Algiers Mosque. He noted that national legislation prioritizes the establishment of child protection rules and mechanisms, involving the family, school, mosque, state institutions, and civil society actors. Ms. Cherfi reiterated praise for national efforts and the integrated system adopted to care for, promote, and protect child rights, coordinating tasks with various ministerial departments and civil society.
