UNICEF East Asia and the Pacific Regional Office (EAPRO)

Our grantees

UNICEF East Asia and the Pacific Regional Office (EAPRO)

Strengthening Regional Commitment and Collaboration to End Online Child Sexual Abuse and Exploitation in East Asia and the Pacific

Countries involved:
Indonesia, Vietnam, Cambodia, Mongolia, Myanmar, Malaysia, Philippines, China

UNICEF’s East Asia and Pacific Regional Office (EAPRO) is using support from the Fund to prevent and end online violence throughout the region. To do so, the office is:

    • Engaging the information, communications and technology sector to increase the use of effective practices in the industry;
    • Promoting learning across the region to aid the criminal justice sector and discover solutions to online child sexual exploitation and abuse;
    • Conducting research into children’s use of social media and possible online risks and opportunities in the region, and developing some recommendations for the private sector to promote child online safety;
    • Reviewing existing educational materials on child online protection produced or used by governments in the region, and recommending ways to improve these;
    • Reviewing existing educational materials produced by non-governmental organisations and the private sector that aim to protect children online, and developing an evaluation framework in partnership with the ICT private sector to assess their impact on behavior change, with the aim of enhancing the quality and reach of educational initiatives for children, increasing their access to quality and effective resources and information on online safety; and
    • Convening a regional conference on child online protection in collaboration with UNODC, the ITU, and the ASEAN, to bring together stakeholders from across the region to share lessons learned and promote inter-sectoral and cross-sectoral discussions and action planning.

Grant timeline:
December 2016 – April 2020

Grantee website:
techmatters.org

Funding amount:
$722,250

Find other grantees

Fundacion Paniamor

Our grantees Fundacion Paniamor Costa Rica Says No to Online Child Sexual Exploitation and Abuse Countries involved:Costa Rica The Paniamor Foundation is using support from the Fund

Universidad de Los Andes

Our grantees Universidad de Los Andes Prevention of Online Child Sexual Exploitation and Abuse in Latin America and Evaluation of Mitigation Strategies With Artificial Intelligence

Red Papaz

Our grantees Red Papaz Consolidation and Strengthening of the Safer Internet Center – Viguías in Colombia Countries involved:Colombia To ensure the protection of children and

Red Papaz, UNICEF Colombia & Fundación Renacer

Our grantees Red Papaz, UNICEF Colombia & Fundación Renacer Youth’s Experience of Peer-to-peer Sexual Violence Online, Social Norms and Youth-led Recommendations for Prevention and Response:

Royal Roads University (Global)

Our grantees Royal Roads University (Global) Youth’s Experience of Peer-to-peer Sexual Violence Online, Social Norms and Youth-led Recommendations for Prevention and Response: A Cross-regional Study

UNICEF Cambodia

Our grantees UNICEF Cambodia Effective Prevention and Response to Online Child Sexual Exploitation and Abuse Through the Adaptation of Existing Models and Technology Tools and

Tech Matters

Our grantees

Tech Matters

The Aselo Platform: Strengthening the Global Child Helpline Movement Project

Countries involved:
South Africa, Zambia, Chile, India, Jamaica, Thailand, Zimbabwe, United States of America

With support from Safe Online’s investements, in 2020 and now in 2022, Tech Matters is continuing to develop its project ‘Aselo: Bringing Modern Technology to Child Helplines’ – a customizable, open-source, contact center platform that allows children and youth to reach out to helplines via voice, SMS, webchat, WhatsApp, and Facebook Messenger. It  includes automation of reporting of online child sexual abuse materials, providing children with the tools needed to protect themselves online. The project will also facilitate automated reporting of CSAM to national portals and law enforcement. This project will be implemented in South Africa and Zambia.

Grant timeline:
September 2020 – March 2023 ($750000) / June 2022 – December 2024 ($750000)

Grantee website:
techmatters.org

Funding amount:
$1,500,000

Find other grantees

Fundacion Paniamor

Our grantees Fundacion Paniamor Costa Rica Says No to Online Child Sexual Exploitation and Abuse Countries involved:Costa Rica The Paniamor Foundation is using support from the Fund

Universidad de Los Andes

Our grantees Universidad de Los Andes Prevention of Online Child Sexual Exploitation and Abuse in Latin America and Evaluation of Mitigation Strategies With Artificial Intelligence

Red Papaz

Our grantees Red Papaz Consolidation and Strengthening of the Safer Internet Center – Viguías in Colombia Countries involved:Colombia To ensure the protection of children and

Red Papaz, UNICEF Colombia & Fundación Renacer

Our grantees Red Papaz, UNICEF Colombia & Fundación Renacer Youth’s Experience of Peer-to-peer Sexual Violence Online, Social Norms and Youth-led Recommendations for Prevention and Response:

Royal Roads University (Global)

Our grantees Royal Roads University (Global) Youth’s Experience of Peer-to-peer Sexual Violence Online, Social Norms and Youth-led Recommendations for Prevention and Response: A Cross-regional Study

UNICEF Cambodia

Our grantees UNICEF Cambodia Effective Prevention and Response to Online Child Sexual Exploitation and Abuse Through the Adaptation of Existing Models and Technology Tools and

University of Kent 2

Our grantees

University of Kent

A Serious Game for a Serious Issue: Combatting Online Child Sexual Exploitation and Trafficking via a Digital Game

Countries involved:
Thailand, Cambodia

University of Kent will prevent online child sexual exploitation and abuse of children in Thailand and Cambodia by educating them about online child sexual exploitation and trafficking through a culturally sensitive digital “serious” game. This game has built-in evaluation and at-source reporting, helping children build the skills they need to protect themselves in a safe digital environment. 

Grant timeline:
December 2020 – December 2022

Grantee website:
www.kent.ac.uk

Funding amount:
$599,653

Find other grantees

Fundacion Paniamor

Our grantees Fundacion Paniamor Costa Rica Says No to Online Child Sexual Exploitation and Abuse Countries involved:Costa Rica The Paniamor Foundation is using support from the Fund

Universidad de Los Andes

Our grantees Universidad de Los Andes Prevention of Online Child Sexual Exploitation and Abuse in Latin America and Evaluation of Mitigation Strategies With Artificial Intelligence

Red Papaz

Our grantees Red Papaz Consolidation and Strengthening of the Safer Internet Center – Viguías in Colombia Countries involved:Colombia To ensure the protection of children and

Red Papaz, UNICEF Colombia & Fundación Renacer

Our grantees Red Papaz, UNICEF Colombia & Fundación Renacer Youth’s Experience of Peer-to-peer Sexual Violence Online, Social Norms and Youth-led Recommendations for Prevention and Response:

Royal Roads University (Global)

Our grantees Royal Roads University (Global) Youth’s Experience of Peer-to-peer Sexual Violence Online, Social Norms and Youth-led Recommendations for Prevention and Response: A Cross-regional Study

UNICEF Cambodia

Our grantees UNICEF Cambodia Effective Prevention and Response to Online Child Sexual Exploitation and Abuse Through the Adaptation of Existing Models and Technology Tools and

University of Bristol

Our grantees

University of Bristol

Ai-based Advances for Law Enforcement’s Response to Online Child Sexual Exploitation and Abuse in Southeast Asia

Countries involved:
Thailand, Cambodia, Philippines, Indonesia, Myanmar, Malaysia, Vietnam, Singapore

Researchers at the Universities of Bristol and Lancaster will enhance iCOP, the research team’s artificial intelligence software. iCOP was created to flag new or previously unknown child sexual abuse material, and iCOP 2.0 will extend the software’s reach to Southeast Asia. The project will also work with these law enforcement officers to use iCOP and strengthen their response to online child sexual abuse cases. 

The core functions and main components of the iCOP 2.0 toolkit will be as follows:

    • A novel filename classification approach that utilises a combination of linguistic clues and specialised vocabulary used by Southeast Asian offenders to share or stream child sexual exploitation and abuse (CSEA) content on peer-to-peer networks to automatically identify suspicious media based on their filename or video title;
    • A new image and video classification module using multiple and, in the case of video, multi-modal (visual and audio) feature descriptions, leading to a robust and highly accurate identification of Southeast Asian CSEA content; and
    • An innovative triage approach based on a synthesis of the above two models to flag the most pertinent CSEA content being uploaded or streamed on peer-to-peer networks.

This project works in Thailand, Cambodia, the Philippines, Indonesia, Myanmar, Malaysia, Vietnam and Singapore.

Grant timeline:
January 2021 – December 2023

Funding amount:
$723,678

Find other grantees

Fundacion Paniamor

Our grantees Fundacion Paniamor Costa Rica Says No to Online Child Sexual Exploitation and Abuse Countries involved:Costa Rica The Paniamor Foundation is using support from the Fund

Universidad de Los Andes

Our grantees Universidad de Los Andes Prevention of Online Child Sexual Exploitation and Abuse in Latin America and Evaluation of Mitigation Strategies With Artificial Intelligence

Red Papaz

Our grantees Red Papaz Consolidation and Strengthening of the Safer Internet Center – Viguías in Colombia Countries involved:Colombia To ensure the protection of children and

Red Papaz, UNICEF Colombia & Fundación Renacer

Our grantees Red Papaz, UNICEF Colombia & Fundación Renacer Youth’s Experience of Peer-to-peer Sexual Violence Online, Social Norms and Youth-led Recommendations for Prevention and Response:

Royal Roads University (Global)

Our grantees Royal Roads University (Global) Youth’s Experience of Peer-to-peer Sexual Violence Online, Social Norms and Youth-led Recommendations for Prevention and Response: A Cross-regional Study

UNICEF Cambodia

Our grantees UNICEF Cambodia Effective Prevention and Response to Online Child Sexual Exploitation and Abuse Through the Adaptation of Existing Models and Technology Tools and

Council of Europe

Our grantees

Council of Europe

Ending Online Child Sexual Exploitation and Abuse

Countries involved:
Albania, Armenia, Azerbaijan, Bosnia and Herzegovina, Georgia, Moldova, Montenegro, Republic of Serbia, Turkey, Ukraine

The Council of Europe is using support from the Fund to promote, facilitate and support national efforts to prevent and fight against online child exploitation and abuse. Though the project covers all 47 Council of Europe member states, target activities are ongoing in 10 focus countries, including Albania, Armenia, Azerbaijan, Bosnia and Herzegovina, Georgia, the Republic of Moldova, Montenegro, Serbia, Turkey and Ukraine. To end online violence against children, the project is:

    • Establishing enabling environments for cross-sectoral, multidisciplinary collaboration at the national and regional levels;
    • Supporting legislative and procedural reforms and training law enforcement officials, judiciary members, and prosecutors to better respond to cases of online child sexual exploitation and abuse;
    • Improving cooperation between the above agencies to ensure end-to-end support for children affected by online violence; and
    • Raising awareness of online violence by engaging directly with children.

Grant timeline:
Juy 2018 – June 2021

Grantee website:
www.coe.int/en/web/portal

Funding amount:
$1,100,000

Find other grantees

Fundacion Paniamor

Our grantees Fundacion Paniamor Costa Rica Says No to Online Child Sexual Exploitation and Abuse Countries involved:Costa Rica The Paniamor Foundation is using support from the Fund

Universidad de Los Andes

Our grantees Universidad de Los Andes Prevention of Online Child Sexual Exploitation and Abuse in Latin America and Evaluation of Mitigation Strategies With Artificial Intelligence

Red Papaz

Our grantees Red Papaz Consolidation and Strengthening of the Safer Internet Center – Viguías in Colombia Countries involved:Colombia To ensure the protection of children and

Red Papaz, UNICEF Colombia & Fundación Renacer

Our grantees Red Papaz, UNICEF Colombia & Fundación Renacer Youth’s Experience of Peer-to-peer Sexual Violence Online, Social Norms and Youth-led Recommendations for Prevention and Response:

Royal Roads University (Global)

Our grantees Royal Roads University (Global) Youth’s Experience of Peer-to-peer Sexual Violence Online, Social Norms and Youth-led Recommendations for Prevention and Response: A Cross-regional Study

UNICEF Cambodia

Our grantees UNICEF Cambodia Effective Prevention and Response to Online Child Sexual Exploitation and Abuse Through the Adaptation of Existing Models and Technology Tools and

South Asian Initiative to End Violence Against Children (SAIEVAC)

Our grantees

South Asian Initiative to End Violence Against Children (SAIEVAC)

A Strategic Response to Online Child Sexual Exploitation in South Asia

Countries involved:
Afghanistan, Bangladesh, Bhutan, India, Maldives, Pakistan, Sri Lanka, Nepal

The South Asian Initiative to End Violence Against Children (SAIEVAC) used the support from the Fund to end online child exploitation and abuse in Afghanistan, Bangladesh, Bhutan, India, the Maldives, Nepal, Pakistan and Sri Lanka. A regional strategy on addressing this issue has been prepared and is now ready for political endorsement.

Regional efforts generated momentum at the national level; as of mid-2019, national level plans have been prepared and finalised in Nepal and Sri Lanka, while other countries are in the process of developing their national plans or revitalizing their legal systems and enforcement mechanisms. In addition, SAIEVAC has expanded the development of a regional overview on child sexual exploitation and abuse. To do so, the organisation has worked with national mechanisms (including governments) to develop country profiles on child sexual exploitation and abuse, which provide insights into the country context. These country profiles also provide information on the legal, policy and enforcement environment in each country.

Grant timeline:
August 2017 – November 2019

Grantee website:
saievac.org

Funding amount:
$295,695

Find other grantees

Fundacion Paniamor

Our grantees Fundacion Paniamor Costa Rica Says No to Online Child Sexual Exploitation and Abuse Countries involved:Costa Rica The Paniamor Foundation is using support from the Fund

Universidad de Los Andes

Our grantees Universidad de Los Andes Prevention of Online Child Sexual Exploitation and Abuse in Latin America and Evaluation of Mitigation Strategies With Artificial Intelligence

Red Papaz

Our grantees Red Papaz Consolidation and Strengthening of the Safer Internet Center – Viguías in Colombia Countries involved:Colombia To ensure the protection of children and

Red Papaz, UNICEF Colombia & Fundación Renacer

Our grantees Red Papaz, UNICEF Colombia & Fundación Renacer Youth’s Experience of Peer-to-peer Sexual Violence Online, Social Norms and Youth-led Recommendations for Prevention and Response:

Royal Roads University (Global)

Our grantees Royal Roads University (Global) Youth’s Experience of Peer-to-peer Sexual Violence Online, Social Norms and Youth-led Recommendations for Prevention and Response: A Cross-regional Study

UNICEF Cambodia

Our grantees UNICEF Cambodia Effective Prevention and Response to Online Child Sexual Exploitation and Abuse Through the Adaptation of Existing Models and Technology Tools and

Middlesex University 2

Our grantees

Middlesex University

Invisible Risks

Countries involved:
United Kindgom of Great Britain and Northern Ireland

We know that online child sexual abuse material is highly damaging to children. But today, little primary research exists about the impact such material has on content moderators – individuals who are charged with constantly surveilling and removing traumatic images and videos of child sexual abuse.

Through this project, researchers at Middlesex University, in collaboration with INHOPE and other sectors specific organisations, will explore and quantify the issues facing content moderators, specifically as it relates to their exposure of traumatic child sexual abuse material. They will also identify coping strategies currently used by content moderators, and highlight what works – and what does not work – for individuals and organisations that do this work. Results of this study will be used to develop a pilot intervention to support and protect the mental health of content moderators.

Learn more about Tech Coalition Safe Online Research Fund and the Advisory Group of experts who have collaborated to guide this work.

Grant timeline:
October 2023 – October 2024

Grantee website:
www.mdx.ac.uk

Funding amount:
$128,755

Find other grantees

Fundacion Paniamor

Our grantees Fundacion Paniamor Costa Rica Says No to Online Child Sexual Exploitation and Abuse Countries involved:Costa Rica The Paniamor Foundation is using support from the Fund

Universidad de Los Andes

Our grantees Universidad de Los Andes Prevention of Online Child Sexual Exploitation and Abuse in Latin America and Evaluation of Mitigation Strategies With Artificial Intelligence

Red Papaz

Our grantees Red Papaz Consolidation and Strengthening of the Safer Internet Center – Viguías in Colombia Countries involved:Colombia To ensure the protection of children and

Red Papaz, UNICEF Colombia & Fundación Renacer

Our grantees Red Papaz, UNICEF Colombia & Fundación Renacer Youth’s Experience of Peer-to-peer Sexual Violence Online, Social Norms and Youth-led Recommendations for Prevention and Response:

Royal Roads University (Global)

Our grantees Royal Roads University (Global) Youth’s Experience of Peer-to-peer Sexual Violence Online, Social Norms and Youth-led Recommendations for Prevention and Response: A Cross-regional Study

UNICEF Cambodia

Our grantees UNICEF Cambodia Effective Prevention and Response to Online Child Sexual Exploitation and Abuse Through the Adaptation of Existing Models and Technology Tools and

University of Kent 2

Our grantees

University of Kent

Understanding and improving help seeking by people at risk of online child sexual exploitation and abuse

Countries involved:
United Kingdom of Great Britain and Northern Ireland

The Centre of Research and Education in Forensic Psychology at the University of Kent is a group of leading psychologists working on offending behaviour, including sexual exploitation and abuse. In partnership with the Lucy Faithfull Foundation and researchers based in South Africa, Mexico, the US and UK, this project will shed light on the psychological processes through which people at risk of online sexual exploitation and abuse may instead seek professional support. In addition, the group will explore the efficacy and impact of prevention interventions targeting people engaging with online abuse. Overall, the project will ask a fundamental – and often overlooked – question: who seeks help for child sexual exploitation and abuse, and can we get more people to do so before committing a crime?

This project will expand the group’s existing model of psychological predicators of help-seeking for people at risk of offending, and examine how to amplify the psychological factors that support such help-seeking behaviours. At the same time, the project will also look into the psychological barriers that prevent help-seeking, and explore ways to weaken those barriers in the digital sphere.

Learn more about Tech Coalition Safe Online Research Fund and the Advisory Group of experts who have collaborated to guide this work.

Grant timeline:
October 2023 – October 2024

Grantee website:
www.iwf.org.uk

Funding amount:
$92,839

Find other grantees

Fundacion Paniamor

Our grantees Fundacion Paniamor Costa Rica Says No to Online Child Sexual Exploitation and Abuse Countries involved:Costa Rica The Paniamor Foundation is using support from the Fund

Universidad de Los Andes

Our grantees Universidad de Los Andes Prevention of Online Child Sexual Exploitation and Abuse in Latin America and Evaluation of Mitigation Strategies With Artificial Intelligence

Red Papaz

Our grantees Red Papaz Consolidation and Strengthening of the Safer Internet Center – Viguías in Colombia Countries involved:Colombia To ensure the protection of children and

Red Papaz, UNICEF Colombia & Fundación Renacer

Our grantees Red Papaz, UNICEF Colombia & Fundación Renacer Youth’s Experience of Peer-to-peer Sexual Violence Online, Social Norms and Youth-led Recommendations for Prevention and Response:

Royal Roads University (Global)

Our grantees Royal Roads University (Global) Youth’s Experience of Peer-to-peer Sexual Violence Online, Social Norms and Youth-led Recommendations for Prevention and Response: A Cross-regional Study

UNICEF Cambodia

Our grantees UNICEF Cambodia Effective Prevention and Response to Online Child Sexual Exploitation and Abuse Through the Adaptation of Existing Models and Technology Tools and

DeafKidz International 2

Our grantees

DeafKidz International

DeafKidz Defenders Project

Countries involved:
United Kindgom of Great Britain and Northern Ireland

DeafKidz International will develop DeafKidz Defenders, an interactive, accessible digital platform to help deaf children stay safe from online abuse and exploitation. Through educational games, children will learn to protect themselves from online risks, exploring what an inappropriate chat conversation might look like, the warning signs of abusers, and more. This game will reduce children’s vulnerability to exploitation while also promoting their resilience and self-advocacy. This project will be implemented in South Africa and Pakistan

Grant timeline:
May 2023 – May 2025

Grantee website:
www.iwf.org.uk

Funding amount:
$641,170

Find other grantees

Fundacion Paniamor

Our grantees Fundacion Paniamor Costa Rica Says No to Online Child Sexual Exploitation and Abuse Countries involved:Costa Rica The Paniamor Foundation is using support from the Fund

Universidad de Los Andes

Our grantees Universidad de Los Andes Prevention of Online Child Sexual Exploitation and Abuse in Latin America and Evaluation of Mitigation Strategies With Artificial Intelligence

Red Papaz

Our grantees Red Papaz Consolidation and Strengthening of the Safer Internet Center – Viguías in Colombia Countries involved:Colombia To ensure the protection of children and

Red Papaz, UNICEF Colombia & Fundación Renacer

Our grantees Red Papaz, UNICEF Colombia & Fundación Renacer Youth’s Experience of Peer-to-peer Sexual Violence Online, Social Norms and Youth-led Recommendations for Prevention and Response:

Royal Roads University (Global)

Our grantees Royal Roads University (Global) Youth’s Experience of Peer-to-peer Sexual Violence Online, Social Norms and Youth-led Recommendations for Prevention and Response: A Cross-regional Study

UNICEF Cambodia

Our grantees UNICEF Cambodia Effective Prevention and Response to Online Child Sexual Exploitation and Abuse Through the Adaptation of Existing Models and Technology Tools and

5rights Foundation 2

Our grantees

5rights Foundation

Global roll-out of the Child Online Safety Toolkit

5Rights Foundation is creating a Global Policy Handbook that outlines the steps needed to develop the cultural, technical and legal conditions to ensure the protection of children online. Specifically, the Handbook will offer the necessary roadmaps, signposts, and examples of good practices to bring the Model National Response to life and to address knowledge gaps in relation to child online protection.

The project is expected to be completed in 15 months and will include country-level consultations in Albania, Ghana, Jordan, Peru and Vietnam, countries where the Fund has made various investments to tackle online child sexual exploitation and abuse. It also builds on the Fund’s previous successful investment in Rwanda via 5Rights Foundation and the University of East London to develop a child online protection policy and implementation plan, which was passed by the Rwandan government in June 2019. 

Grant timeline:
May 2023 – May 2024

Grantee website:
5rightsfoundation.com

Funding amount:
$475,000

Find other grantees

Fundacion Paniamor

Our grantees Fundacion Paniamor Costa Rica Says No to Online Child Sexual Exploitation and Abuse Countries involved:Costa Rica The Paniamor Foundation is using support from the Fund

Universidad de Los Andes

Our grantees Universidad de Los Andes Prevention of Online Child Sexual Exploitation and Abuse in Latin America and Evaluation of Mitigation Strategies With Artificial Intelligence

Red Papaz

Our grantees Red Papaz Consolidation and Strengthening of the Safer Internet Center – Viguías in Colombia Countries involved:Colombia To ensure the protection of children and

Red Papaz, UNICEF Colombia & Fundación Renacer

Our grantees Red Papaz, UNICEF Colombia & Fundación Renacer Youth’s Experience of Peer-to-peer Sexual Violence Online, Social Norms and Youth-led Recommendations for Prevention and Response:

Royal Roads University (Global)

Our grantees Royal Roads University (Global) Youth’s Experience of Peer-to-peer Sexual Violence Online, Social Norms and Youth-led Recommendations for Prevention and Response: A Cross-regional Study

UNICEF Cambodia

Our grantees UNICEF Cambodia Effective Prevention and Response to Online Child Sexual Exploitation and Abuse Through the Adaptation of Existing Models and Technology Tools and

Stay in the loop.

Our purpose in detail

We are here to ensure every child and young person grows in to the digital world feeling safe, and is protected from harm.

We support, champion, and invest in innovative partners from the public, private, and third sectors working towards the same objective.

We believe in equipping guardians and young people with the skills to understand and see danger themselves once accessing digital experiences without supervision.

We'd love to have a chat

We're thrilled you're interested in donating to Safe Online - pop in the details below and we will get back to you to set up a discussion.