The text below was prepared by the French Presidency of the G7 prior to the meeting of Education Ministers on 19th May 2026.
Communiqué of the French Presidency
Ministers of education of G7 Member States and the European Union gathered on 19th May to examine the role of education in the protection of minors online. This topic is indeed being championed by France throughout its G7 Presidency and will feature prominently at the Evian G7 Summit from 15th to 17th June 2026.
Ministers recalled their engagements on the subject in both Trieste (G7 2024 under Italian Presidency) and Toyama and Kanazawa (G7 2023 under Japanese Presidency), as well as the launch, in 2019 under French presidency, of a coalition against bullying, including cyber-bullying. They also recalled the creation, by the European Commission in 2019, of an expert group on safer Internet for children, which aims at enhancing coordination and cooperation between EU countries and which has set out an EU action plan against cyberbullying.
During their meeting, Ministers acknowledged that we now live in a digital age, where digital technologies open up powerful opportunities for education, notably in terms of access and innovation. They also recognised that digital environments expose children to risks that have grown in scale and intensity, including age-inappropriate content, online harassment and patterns of use that can affect their attention, well-being and mental health.
They reaffirmed the responsibility of education systems to promote the well-being of children and committed to strengthening this role across their education systems. This means monitoring the use of digital technologies during school time in age-appropriate ways, enabling teachers to equip children from an early age with the digital, media and information literacy as well as digital skills needed to navigate online environments safely and critically, and supporting educators and families as trusted partners in guidance and support. It also means providing children with meaningful alternatives to screen time, in particular through cultural, artistic and sporting activities, which are essential to their balanced development.
Yet, education systems cannot bear this responsibility alone. Protecting children online requires a whole-of-society approach, in line with the best interests of the child. Ministers called for continued international cooperation to ensure that the digital environment that children navigate in is safe, age-appropriate and conducive to their development.
Ministers remain committed to acting together so that every child can grow, learn and flourish in the digital age.
They look forward to continuing their engagement in 2027 and beyond, under the guidance of future G7 Presidencies.