𝗡𝗮𝘁𝗶𝗼𝗻𝗮𝗹 𝗖𝗘𝗥𝗧 & 𝗜𝗖𝗠𝗣𝗗 𝗖𝗼-𝗢𝗿𝗴𝗮𝗻𝗶𝘇𝗲𝗱 𝗧𝘄𝗼-𝗗𝗮𝘆 𝗖𝗮𝗽𝗮𝗰𝗶𝘁𝘆 𝗕𝘂𝗶𝗹𝗱𝗶𝗻𝗴 𝗧𝗿𝗮𝗶𝗻𝗶𝗻𝗴 𝗼𝗻 𝗖𝗵𝗶𝗹𝗱-𝗦𝗲𝗻𝘀𝗶𝘁𝗶𝘃𝗲 𝗕𝗼𝗿𝗱𝗲𝗿 𝗠𝗮𝗻𝗮𝗴𝗲𝗺𝗲𝗻𝘁 𝗮𝗻𝗱 𝗖𝘆𝗯𝗲𝗿-𝗘𝗻𝗮𝗯𝗹𝗲𝗱 𝗖𝗵𝗶𝗹𝗱 𝗣𝗿𝗼𝘁𝗲𝗰𝘁𝗶𝗼𝗻

The National Cyber Emergency Response Team (National CERT) of Pakistan co-organized a two-day specialized training on Child Sensitive Border Management and Cyber Enabled Child Protection under the “Children on the Move – Improving Child Protection at Pakistan’s Land Border Crossing Points (ICP-PAK) Project” in collaboration with the International Centre for Migration Policy Development (ICMPD) at its Headquarters.

Delivered by Ms. Valerie Khan, Child Protection Expert at ICMPD, the training brought together senior officials from the Federal Investigation Agency (FIA) deployed at various airports across Pakistan and focused on strengthening the understanding of child rights, child development phases, and vulnerabilities faced by children on the move, including risks of trafficking, smuggling, exploitation, and abuse. Participants were also sensitized to national and international legal frameworks, child-sensitive border management practices, trauma-informed interviewing techniques, and alternatives to detention through practical scenario-based learning sessions. The training emphasized the importance of strengthening child protection systems and enhancing coordinated response mechanisms at border crossing points.

A specialized technical session titled "The Digital Border – Cybersecurity & Child Protection" was delivered by Mr. Khurram Javed, Director Capacity Building, National CERT. The session examined emerging technology-facilitated threats affecting children on the move, including digital recruitment by trafficking networks, online grooming and coercion push factors, gaming platform exploitation, stalkerware-enabled surveillance, and the evolving “digital escort” phenomenon. It also emphasized cyber-profiling indicators relevant to frontline officials, as well as the ethical use of biometric systems, secure digital case management, data protection protocols, and the identification of cyber-profiling red flags during border interviews. The session reinforced the critical role of cyber resilience in child safeguarding, underscoring the central message: “Protecting the data is protecting the child.”

National CERT is committed to strengthening cyber-enabled child protection frameworks in Pakistan through capacity building, inter-agency collaboration, and proactive awareness initiatives. By integrating cybersecurity considerations into border management practices, National CERT continues to support a safer and more secure environment for children on the move.