NNA - The Ministry of Social Affairs and the Supreme Council for Childhood launched on Tuesday the charter of "media ethics in dealing with children" at a press conference held this afternoon at the Holiday Inn under the auspices of caretaker Minister of Social Affairs Wael Abu Faour.



The ceremony was attended by Director of the National News Agency, Laure Sleiman representing the outgoing Information Minister Walid Daouk, the president of the National Media Council Abdel Hadi Mahfouz, Head of the press Syndicate Mohammad Baalbaki represented by Viviane Dagher, the General Security Chief, Major General Abbas Ibrahim represented by Lieutenant-Colonel Najm Ahmadiyya, Director General of the internal Security Forces, Brigadier General Ibrahim Basbous represented by Lieutenant-Colonel Peter Hashem, director of the Catholic Information Center Abdo Abu Kasam, the secretary general of the Supreme Council for Childhood Rita Karam and representatives from the Ministry of Social Affairs and a number of journalists.



Minister Abu Faour started his statement by thanking the media institutions for the effort being exerted to pursue social issues and shed light on them.



"Childhood has become a cause in Lebanon with people to defend it and volunteers to protect it. With the efforts of the Supreme Council for Childhood, the Ministry and the relevant bodies, awareness has been raised over childhood issues," he proudly said.



"What is required is to protect the kids from television scenes, whether violence, porn or others. So I hope media would - through this charter which will be delivered to the National News Agency and all the institutions - deal with children's social issues appropriately," he finally said.



==========D.K.