Punjab’s Mera Pyara – Virtual Center for Child Safety has received Champion recognition at the World Summit on the Information Society Prizes 2026.
However, the Punjab Safe Cities Authority project did not win the overall E-Government category award.
The International Telecommunication Union included Mera Pyara among the five Champion projects shortlisted in the E-Government category. The other finalists came from the Netherlands, Sweden, Malawi and Indonesia.
Indonesian Project Wins E-Government Category
The ITU selected Indonesia’s Rumah Pendidikan as the final Winner in the E-Government category.
The project is operated by the Center for Data and Information Technology under Indonesia’s Ministry of Primary and Secondary Education.
According to the ITU, Rumah Pendidikan uses inclusive and AI-powered digital services to improve access to education and strengthen education governance across Indonesia.
Therefore, Mera Pyara received an important international recognition as a Champion project. However, it did not secure the category’s highest award.
What Is the Difference Between a Champion and a Winner?
The WSIS Prizes process includes several stages.
First, an expert group reviews the submitted projects and selects nominees. In 2026, the ITU shortlisted 360 nominated projects across 18 categories.
Next, public voting determines the five leading projects in each category. These five projects receive Champion-level recognition.
Afterwards, the WSIS Expert Group evaluates the five projects and selects one final Winner from each category.
In simple terms:
- Five projects reach Champion status in each category.
- One of those five projects becomes the final category Winner.
- The remaining four retain their Champion recognition.
Across all 18 categories, 90 projects reached the Champion stage. Of these, 18 became Winners, while the remaining 72 were recognised as non-winning Champions.
What Is Mera Pyara?
Mera Pyara is a digital public-service initiative operated by the Punjab Safe Cities Authority.
The project was launched in July 2024 to help reunite missing children, senior citizens and persons with disabilities with their families.
The ITU officially listed it among the five leading E-Government projects at the WSIS Prizes 2026.
Punjab Chief Minister Maryam Nawaz also highlighted the recognition on social media, describing Mera Pyara as a Champion project.
Chief Minister’s Mera Pyara – Virtual Center for Child Safety, a project of the Punjab Safe Cities Authority, has been declared a *Champion Project* in the E-Governance category in UN-WSIS Awards 2026.
It is a matter of great pride for Pakistan, Punjab and Punjab Safe Cities… pic.twitter.com/73mKalWCMg
— Maryam Nawaz Sharif (@MaryamNSharif) July 10, 2026
Five E-Government Champion Projects
The five projects recognised at the Champion stage were:
| Project | Country |
|---|---|
| Consul Democracy | Netherlands |
| Digitalidag | Sweden |
| Biometric QR Verification for Farmer Social Protection | Malawi |
| Mera Pyara – Virtual Center for Child Safety | Pakistan |
| Rumah Pendidikan | Indonesia |
Among these five projects, only Rumah Pendidikan received the final Winner award. Mera Pyara remained one of the four other Champion projects in the category.
Recognition Remains a Major Achievement
Although Mera Pyara did not become the E-Government category Winner, reaching the final five remains a significant international achievement.
The WSIS Prizes 2026 received nearly 1,600 submissions from more than 120 countries. The contest recognised digital projects that demonstrated measurable social impact and supported sustainable development.
Mera Pyara’s Champion status places the Punjab initiative among the leading digital-government projects recognised by the ITU in 2026.
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