AGP Awan calls for stronger SCO cooperation to protect families, children online

Pakistan's Attorney General Mansoor Usman Awan on Thursday addressed the 24th Meeting of Prosecutors/Attorneys General of the Member States of the Shanghai Cooperation Organisation (SCO), calling for practical regional cooperation to safeguard traditional family values, protect children from online exploitation, and strengthen the accountability of digital platforms.

The high-level meeting brought together Attorneys General, Prosecutors General and senior representatives of SCO Member States.

The meeting, convened by the Russian Federation and the Prosecutor General’s Office of Russia, focused on safeguarding traditional family values and preventing the dissemination of unlawful content among minors. 

In his opening remarks, the Attorney General thanked the hosts and emphasised the need to translate shared objectives into effective prevention, lawful investigation and prosecution, and meaningful protection for child victims.

Highlighting the family's central role in providing care, guidance, and security, the Attorney General stressed that protecting children requires both social support and legal safeguards. 

He outlined Pakistan’s measures to strengthen child protection, including the National Commission on the Rights of Child Act, 2017, and the National Child Rights Integrated Dashboard. 

He explained that the Dashboard brings together information from federal and provincial authorities to monitor child-rights violations, identify gaps and guide protective measures.

Addressing online offences against minors, the Attorney General highlighted the risks posed by offenders who exploit children’s trust, conceal their identities and operate across borders. 

He referred to provisions of Pakistan’s Prevention of Electronic Crimes Act, 2016, addressing online grooming, solicitation, cyber enticement and commercial sexual exploitation of children. 

Additionally, he emphasised the importance of specialised investigation, prompt preservation of electronic evidence, protection of children’s identities and support for victims throughout proceedings.

On digital-platform accountability, the Attorney General outlined Pakistan’s legislative framework for securing electronic evidence and the provisions introduced in 2025 concerning social media regulation and complaint mechanisms. 

He called for accessible reporting channels, prompt action against child sexual abuse material and preservation of relevant evidence. He also highlighted the importance of public awareness initiatives that help children and parents recognise online risks and use safety tools.

He proposed three priorities for cooperation: designated contact points to facilitate urgent referrals and evidence-preservation requests through existing legal channels; joint training on digital evidence, interviewing child victims and preparing effective mutual legal assistance requests; and research and expert meetings to develop practical guidance on platform responses, content filtering in educational institutions and safeguards for children’s data. 

He called for regular review to ensure that these initiatives translate into effective practice.

In his remarks, Attorney General Awan stated: “Let us translate our commitments into practical measures that support families, protect children from exploitation, and uphold their dignity and rights.”

Concluding his address, the Attorney General recalled the words of Pakistan’s founder, Quaid-e-Azam Muhammad Ali Jinnah, in his message to the All-Pakistan Educational Conference in 1947: “What we have to do is to mobilise our people and build up the character of our future generations.” 

To conclude, he observed that this shared responsibility of families, educators and public institutions extends to protecting the digital environment in which children learn, interact and develop.