General Assembly

United Nations

Preventing Human Trafficking Human Trafficking in Pakistan.

and Child Exploitation on & It’s Position and Methods for

Social Media Platforms. Preventing Forced Labor.

 UNITED NATIONS

GENERAL ASSEMBLY

Position paper
Country: Pakistan

Topic area: Preventing Human Trafficking and Child Exploitation

On Social Media Platforms.

Delegate: Feruzabonu Nurmuxammatova

The challenge

Human trafficking is a crime in which criminals, also known as traffickers, illegally recruit, obtain, or transport their
victims for the purpose of sexual exploitation or forced labor. This criminal activity is bringing a new level of horror to
society across the globe as traffickers are developing new tricks and methods to lure and prey upon their victims.
Human trafficking occurs domestically and across international borders, with over 45 million victims globally.

The lack of awareness of human trafficking, coupled with the increase in technology and social media has facilitated
the increase of exploited victims. There are currently over 4.66 billion people who use the Internet and more than 4.2
billion social media users worldwide. According to a 2018 report, roughly 45% of victims indicated that they met the
trafficker in person. The remaining 55% encountered the person via technology, including social media platforms, text
messages, or deceptive websites.

Traffickers and exploiters use social media to lure vulnerable individuals, especially children and teenagers, into
dangerous situations by pretending to be someone they are not, such as a friend or a romantic interest. They can
easily hide their true intentions and manipulate victims into trusting them through messaging and grooming tactics.
Furthermore, social media platforms are also used to advertise and sell victims to buyers, either through online
advertisements or private messages. Traffickers and exploiters are able to reach a wide audience and remain
anonymous, making it difficult for law enforcement to track and stop these illegal activities. Between 2019 and 2020,
traditional recruitment sites such as bus stations, strip clubs, mental health facilities, and private foster homes all
experienced significant declines. At the same time, Facebook experienced a 125% increase in trafficking recruitment.
The nearly 95% increase only rivals that number in those using Instagram to find victims.

To prevent further increase in Human and child trafficking across the globe and help people not to be deceived on
social media by traffickers, government should take actions immediately.
The position of Pakistan
Human trafficking is a grave issue that plagues many nations across the globe, with Pakistan
being no exception, due to the rife poverty, lack of resource and high illiteracy. Women are
exploited through forced marriages, sexual abuse and physical violence. Poverty has forced
a multitude of women into marrying for money, without their consent, as a means of
feeding their poor families while some are sold as repayments of debts in rural areas.
Women are traded between different tribal groups as forms of payment and to settle
disputes, while girls are sold by their parents into forced marriages, domestic servitude, and
prostitution.

Human trafficking in Pakistan takes its worst toll in the shape of children being bought, sold,
kidnapped for working in begging rings, domestic servitude and prostitution. Children of all
ages are trafficked to be exploited sexually in other countries, while others are forced to
work for illegal begging and trafficking rings. Babies are sold to childless couples or couples
seeking out a bride for their sons, while girls from Bangladesh, Burma, and other regions of
South Asia are trafficked into Pakistan for sale.

There has been a notable increase in the number of victims across Pakistan, where women
and children from the impoverished and underprivileged areas of Pakistan, are sold to
different illicit avenues from the ‘bacha bazars’ in neighbouring Afghanistan to prostitution
rings and brothels operating in China. The provincial police underlined an increase in 303
victims of human trafficking since 2017, with an estimated 2697 reports of trafficked victims
currently pending. The major plight of human trafficking comes in the form of children
being smuggled to neighbouring areas both inside and outside Pakistan.

Human trafficking on social media platforms is a growing concern in Pakistan. Criminals are
using these platforms to lure vulnerable individuals, particularly women and children, with
false promises of employment, education, and a better life. Once they are trapped, they are
exploited for forced labor, sex work, or other forms of exploitation.

The anonymity provided by social media platforms makes it easier for traffickers to operate
without fear of being caught. They create fake profiles, join online groups, and use
messaging apps to connect with potential victims. They often use tactics like deception,
blackmail, and coercion to manipulate their victims into compliance.
The Pakistani government has taken some steps to combat human trafficking on social
media, such as increasing awareness campaigns and establishing helplines for victims to
seek help. However, more needs to be done to address this issue effectively. Authorities
need to work closely with social media companies to monitor and prevent human trafficking
activities on their platforms. Regular monitoring and reporting of suspicious activities can
help in identifying and rescuing victims before it's too late.

Pakistan has signed the SAARC Convention on Preventing and Combating Trafficking of
Women and Children for Prostitution, in addition to its own laws specific to the country.

Pakistan’s Proposals/ Suggested solutions

Pakistan suggests the following actions to avoid or/and reduce the rate of human trafficking
and child exploitation on social media platforms:

 Increase public awareness of human trafficking; create and strengthen new and
existing relationships with NGOs, the private sector, civil society organizations, an the
media.
 Gather resources to support initiatives; develop plans to combat human trafficking
on a local, regional, and global scale.
 Develop detection; develop algorithms on social media platformce to detect
suspicious activity and content related to trafficking to report and delete it
immediately.

References
 NSUWorks. The Role of social Media in Human Trafficking Victimization:
https://nsuworks.nova.edu/fse_etd/323/
 Human trafficking Front. Social Media and Child sex Trafficking:
https://humantraffickingfront.org/social-media-and-child-sex-trafficking/
 Bergman. Social Media and Human Trafficking: https://socialmediavictims.org/sexual-
violence/human-trafficking/
 Alina Ch. Essay on Human Trafficking in Pakistan and South Asia:
https://www.scribd.com/document/507464260/Essay-on-Human-Trafficking-in-
Pakistan-1
 The Nation. Shahraj Raza. Human Trafficking in Pakistan:
https://www.nation.com.pk/12-Jun-2020/human-trafficking-in-pakistan
 Federal law Journey ( FLJ). Pakistan’s Legal Framework on Human Trafficking:
https://www.flj.gov.pk/docs/issue2/3.pdf