Telenor Pakistan and UNICEF marked the successful conclusion of their three-year partnership (2022–2025) with a closing ceremony in Islamabad focused on strengthening child online protection across Pakistan. The event brought together key stakeholders from the Pakistan Telecommunication Authority, National Commission on the Rights of Child, National Cyber Security Emergency Response Team, UN agencies, diplomatic missions, private sector, civil society, academia, along with children and youth.
The ceremony highlighted collective achievements made through cross-sector collaboration to enhance children’s safety in digital spaces. A key feature of the event was the launch of the “Child Online Protection Anthem” by the NCRC Child Advisory Panel, amplifying youth voices and reinforcing national commitment to combating online child sexual exploitation and abuse.
Fridtjof Rusten, CEO of Telenor Pakistan, emphasized that online safety is a shared responsibility, particularly as one in three internet users globally is a child. He noted that the Pakistan context demands urgent, united action and that the partnership with UNICEF has laid strong foundations for sustained progress.
Preliminary insights were also shared from the ongoing Disrupting Harm II study, conducted with ECPAT International and INTERPOL. The research, one of the most comprehensive of its kind in Pakistan, will inform future policies, legislative reforms, and a costed national action plan upon the release of its full findings in April 2026.
An expert panel discussion further explored future priorities, collaborative approaches, and emerging digital risks. UNICEF Pakistan Representative Pernille Ironside underscored that as connectivity grows, so does the responsibility to protect children, noting key achievements including the establishment of Pakistan’s first Child Online Protection Committee.
Over the past three years, the partnership has driven nationwide digital campaigns, community outreach, capacity-building initiatives, and education sector integration, strengthening Pakistan’s digital protection ecosystem and setting a benchmark for sustainable, multi-stakeholder collaboration.
