In October 2017, Hughes participated as one of 120 world leaders in the area of Internet safety in Rome, Italy for the "Child Dignity In the Digital World" World Congress to set the global agenda in the fight against child sexual abuse and exploitation in the digital age. The Congress concluded with a papal audience at the Vatican in which Pope Francis applauded the Congress in his address for concentrating with great foresight "on what is probably the most crucial challenge for the future of the human family-the protection of young people's dignity, their healthy development, their joy and their hope."