Students participate in an art performance to welcome the event Cyber Peace 2025. — VNS Photo Thu Trang

HÀ NỘI — Representatives from domestic ministries and numerous United Nations organisations committed to enhance cooperation in protecting children in the digital environment during an event held on Saturday in Hà Nội.

The event Cyber Peace 2025, organised by the Wellspring Hà Nội International Bilingual School, followed the Hanoi Convention 2025 and the campaign "Not Alone - Together for online safety," emphasising the role of schools in enhancing digital competence, student voices, and participation in building a safe and humane cyberspace.

Students take initiative

Cyber Peace 2025 is part of activities accompanying national cybersecurity efforts and international organizations, starting when Wellspring was chosen to launch the "Not Alone - Together for online safety" campaign by the Ministry of Public Security (MPS) and the Digital Trust Alliance in early last month.

After Cyber Day 2025 supporting the Hanoi Convention, the Cyber Peace 2025 event expanded with participation from the MPS, Ministry of Foreign Affairs (MoFA), Ministry of Education and Training (MoET), Ministry of Science and Technology, Ministry of Industry and Trade, Ministry of Finance, along with organisations like United Nations International Children's Fund (UNICEF) in Việt Nam, United Nations Development Programme (UNDP) in Việt Nam, IOGT Việt Nam and representatives from over 45 schools.

A key feature of Cyber Peace 2025 is placing students' voices at the centre. Students are not only protected but empowered to participate in creating a safe online environment.

At the event, Wellspring High School and Hà Nội Foreign Language Specialised School students joined a Debate Showcase on "Optimal solutions to protect children online: early digital competency education or increasing state control?"

The debate helped students approach internet safety from multiple angles and build policy analysis skills.

A student speaks in the Debate Showcase. — VNS Photo Thu Trang

Simultaneously, the WISMUN United Nations simulation gave students opportunities to role-play international delegates discussing closing the digital divide and enhancing child online safety in developing countries.

The model cultivated multicultural thinking, negotiation, and problem-solving skills suited for global citizenship.

Cyber Peace 2025 also held a Borderless Dialogue with representatives from the MPS, MoFA, MoET, and the Việt Nam Institute of Educational Sciences.

The forum allowed parents, students and organisations to ask questions, access official information and understand each agency's role in managing, supporting and protecting children in cyberspace.

Schools’ representatives affirmed that sustainable digital safety requires students to recognise risks, seek support actively and share with teachers and family.

Speaking at the event, Nguyễn Vĩnh Sơn, Deputy Chairman of the Wellspring Education Council and Principal of Wellspring Hà Nội, stated that children grew up in parallel real and digital environments.

“While cyberspace offers knowledge access opportunities, it also carries risks and traps,” he said.

He highlighted the need for three layers of protection: technology, skills and connection among family, school and society.

“The first layer is technical safeguards such as filtering, alerts, early monitoring and protection. The second is digital knowledge and skills helping students master technology, behave safely and responsibly. The third is a supportive connection environment where family and school create trust for students to share and seek help when facing online issues,” he said.

Sơn emphasised parents' accompaniment as crucial because children were vulnerable to harmful online content. He recommended families created close environments encouraging positive exchanges rather than leaving children alone in cyberspace.

Children must be centre

Nguyễn Vĩnh Sơn, Deputy Chairman of the Wellspring Education Council and Principal of Wellspring Hà Nội (right) and Vũ Kim Chi from the UNICEF in Việt Nam share their points of view about protecting children in the cyber space. — VNS Photo Thu Trang

Vũ Kim Chi from the UNICEF in Việt Nam said digital transformation offered learning and information access for children but exposes them to unpredictable dangers such as data leaks, exposure to harmful content, cyberbullying, scams or online grooming.

A UNICEF survey in Việt Nam shows one in five children admits to online bullying, but most do not know where to seek support, indicating a lack of skills and support systems for children online.

UNICEF collaborates with the MoET to implement a digital competence framework for students since 2019, provides teacher training, safety materials and promotes youth empowerment initiatives.

Chi praised Wellspring's "Not Alone - Together for online safety" campaign as a positive model combining education, skills and arts to spread its message.

She also stressed children as the most vulnerable but often seen as central to all solutions.

“Children must be given opportunities to participate in policy-making, initiatives, and related activities, not only as beneficiaries,” she said.

Cyber Peace 2025 continued promoting the six-point digital safety principles by the MPS's Cybersecurity Department: safe access, healthy communication, responsible sharing, maintaining family-school connection, digital skills and proactive prevention.

The event affirmed digital safety is a societal responsibility, with technology playing a tool role, while family, school and community involvement is decisive.

Cyber Peace 2025 sends the message that protecting children online is an ongoing process requiring multi-sector collaboration.

Hà Nội, hosting many activities of the UN Convention on Cybercrime, is a beacon signaling joint efforts to build a confident, skilled and proactive generation of Vietnamese students for a safe digital environment. — VNS