OPENING REMARKS AT THE SIDE EVENT : “PARENTING IN THE DIGITAL AGE: ADVANCING SOCIAL DEVELOPMENT AND SOCIAL JUSTICE THROUGH FAMILY-CENTERED CARE AND WO

OPENING REMARKS BY

H.E. DATO’ DR. AHMAD FAISAL MUHAMAD

PERMANENT REPRESENTATIVE OF MALAYSIA TO THE UNITED NATIONS

SIDE EVENT:

“PARENTING IN THE DIGITAL AGE: ADVANCING SOCIAL DEVELOPMENT AND SOCIAL JUSTICE THROUGH FAMILY-CENTERED CARE AND WORK-LIFE POLICIES”

Excellencies, Distinguished Delegates, Ladies and Gentlemen,

On behalf of the Permanent Mission of Malaysia, it is my distinct honor to welcome you to this side event, co-organised with the International Federation for Family Development (IFFD). As the 59^th Session of the Commission on Population and Development focuses its lens on the intersection of population, technology, and research, we must recognise that the most critical impacts of these macro trends are ultimately felt at the level of the family. It is within the household that parenting and caregiving fundamentally shape long-term population outcomes, including health, education, and mental well-being.

2. We are living through a period of unprecedented digital saturation. In Malaysia, our digital landscape reflects a fully connected society, with household internet penetration reaching 98% in 2024. This transformation is most stark among our youngest citizens.  Among our youth aged 15 to 19, internet usage has reached a staggering 99.6%. Globally, one in every three internet users today is a child. Childhood is now lived as much through screens and algorithms as it is on the playground.

3. While this connectivity offers immense opportunities, it also presents new and often invisible risks.  A generation ago, parents taught their children to look both ways before crossing the road. Today, the responsibility has expanded.  We must equip our children to navigate a far more complex and less visible digital landscape. 

4. Malaysia is guided by a clear principle: to protect children without limiting their potential. Our aim is not to disconnect them from the digital world, but to empower them engage with it safely, responsibly, and confidently. In this regard, parenting is not merely a private responsibility; it constitutes vital social infrastructure that underpins population resilience and human capital development.

Excellencies, Distinguished Delegates, Ladies and Gentlemen,

5. Our strategy centers on strengthening the role of parents as a child’s first line of digital defense. By focusing on capacity building and fostering trust between generations, we ensure that digital governance is proactive and value-driven. We must move beyond awareness towards coordinated and sustained action, embedding digital resilience and ethics into the very fabric of our societies.

6. The challenges we face are inherently transnational.  Online harm does not recognise borders, and those who seek to exploit vulnerabilities operate without constraint.  Our collective response must therefore be equally agile, coordinated and forward-looking.  This event provides a valuable platform to exchange experiences and identify practical, evidence-based solutions to better safeguard our children and support families. 

7. In closing, I wish to express my sincere appreciation to the International Federation for Family Development for its partnership in convening this important discussion. I also extend my thanks to our distinguished panellists for their valuable contributions. I would like to especially acknowledge Dato’ Sri Rohani Binti Abdul Karim, Chairperson of the National Population and Family Development Board, for her steadfast leadership in strengthening family institutions in Malaysia.  Let us work together to shape a digital environment that empowers and protects our children, one where they can learn with confidence and grow without harm.

Thank you.