 Ladies and gentlemen, dear friends, it is a pleasure to contribute to the celebration of the Safer Internet Day, which unifies governments, the private sector, civil society and international organizations to promote a safer and more responsible use of online technology and mobile phones, especially by children and young people. As you are all aware, in 2010, through the leadership of Secretary General Dr. Hamaduture, the International Telecommunications Union launched the Child Online Protection Global Initiative. I was honoured to become the first patron of this initiative. However, there was much more than an honour. This was also a call to action. Since then, we have implemented the Child Online Protection Initiative in Costa Rica through the appointment of a National Commission on Cyber Security. With the support of ITU, we are developing a national model to promote online protection involving not only government but the private sector, NGOs, schools and parents across Costa Rica. I hope we can serve as a role model for other nations. In September this year, Costa Rica will host the first ITU Global Youth Summit, which aims at mobilizing youth to join forces and create solutions for social good. Young people are the undeniable pioneers in the use of ICTs. It is our hope, truly so, to inspire them to use these technologies to change the world in a very positive way. ITU is the leading United Nations agency on ICTs and it stands ready to assist all countries in developing child online protection policies, building capacity and fostering international cooperation. Let me conclude by saying that today's celebration is another important step towards education, empowerment and protection of children online. I thank you all for your commitment and I look forward to sharing more of my country's experience in the future.