Below are some answers to frequently asked questions; these will be updated and added to in the lead-up to the event.
The Summit will bring together high-level representatives of all members of the Alliance including governments, private sector, civil society organisations, regional mechanisms/entities, and agencies of the United Nations.
Given the limited availability of in-person spaces and the need to allow for Ministerial delegations, it will not be possible for all members of the Alliance to attend the summit in person. Instead, as determined by the Summit Steering Group, in-person participation will be limited to one representative for each Alliance member from the private sector and civil society.
Virtual participation will be restricted to WeProtect Global Alliance members, with each member permitted up to three virtual spaces in addition to their in-person representative.
Participation from governments will be at the level of Ministers responsible for home affairs/interior, justice, law enforcement, technology, women and children, education and/or media. Participation from the private sector and civil society will be at CEO/Executive Director level where possible.
We are constantly reviewing our approach to the event in relation to the ongoing Covid-19 pandemic and related restrictions. We will be working closely with the local authorities and co-hosts to ensure that the event is compliant with the regulations at the time and the risk of Covid-19 transmission is greatly reduced. We will be contacting attendees closer to the event with information about testing, mask-wearing and other measures.
Should the situation develop to the point where an in-person Summit is not possible, we will contact participants as soon as we are able to.
Yes, we advise you to start booking your travel and accommodation. You should not arrange any travel or accommodation before your in-person application has been approved as places are limited.
We recommend to find out if you need to apply for a Visa. WeProtect Global Alliance is unable to facilitate any Visa application. Also, we advise to be aware of the most up-to-date information on COVID-19 guidelines in Brussels by using the following links:
- Country colour-coding for COVID travel
- What to do when you arrive in Belgium
- Latest COVID measures applying to Brussels
- Passenger Locator Form might be needed
Read more about our advices about travelling to Brussels on the Travel Guidance document.
If you are joining us from a civil society organisation or government from an Official Development Assistance country or are speaking at the Summit, you may be eligible to have your accommodation and travel reimbursed. These requests need to be approved and agreed upon by our team before the event. We are not able to retroactively reimburse expenses. Read our travel policy to learn more about the funding process.
Please hold onto your receipts as you will need them to fill the expense report form after the Summit. This will allow us to refund you any eligible expenses in one go.
The venue is Palais d’Egmont, Pl. du Petit Sablon 8, 1000 Bruxelles, Belgium
If you are an Alliance member wishing to present, speak or exhibit at the Global Summit, you can email the details of your proposal to info@weprotectga.org. However, please be aware there is limited room for additional sessions in the agenda, and decisions about key-note addresses and panels will be made by the organisers and Summit Steering Group.
The Summit Steering Group has been established to assist with preparations. The objectives of the group are to:
- Provide expertise and guidance in decision making processes
- Provide oversight to the development of the Global Summit
- Provide input into Summit objectives, programming and themes
- Provide support in securing participants and in promoting the Summit
- Provide a forum for wider collaboration, including identifying opportunities for engagement with other Alliance constituencies.
The objectives of the 2022 Global Summit are to:
- Build an understanding of the threat from child sexual abuse and secure commitments to take action, taking forward the recommendations of the 2021 Global Threat Assessment.
- Obtain new commitments from all members to intensify their actions towards bringing an end to child sexual abuse. This will be underpinned by the findings of a survey of members carried out throughout 2021.
- Showcase prevention solutions, including, but not limited to, promoting online safety, safety by design, and deterrence of potential offenders including through implementation of effective prevention programmes.
- Highlight regulation in different regions and share how it contributes to supporting the fight against child sexual abuse and exploitation, including the upcoming EU legislation to prevent and combat child sexual abuse
- Exchange knowledge and good practice between members and provide opportunities for collaboration on responding to child sexual abuse online. This will be informed by the Model National Response Review, which will highlight examples of implementation, good practice case studies and common gaps and challenges.
- Deepen engagement with and among the Alliance’s broad and diverse membership and welcome new members into the fold.
- Provide an opportunity for survivors of child sexual exploitation and abuse to issue a call to action and provide input to and shape the policy response.
The group is chaired by the European Commission and comprises of representatives from the following governments and organisations:
- Government of France
- Government of Brazil
- INTERPOL
- UNICEF
- African Union Commission
- US Department of Justice
- Young Indians
- INHOPE
- Technology Coalition
- Together for Girls
- Point de Contact
- Benevolent AI
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