Privacy Policy

1Introduction

Pakistan Africa Economic Council (“PAEC”, “we”, “us”, or “our”) respects your privacy and is committed to protecting the personal information entrusted to us.

PAEC is a pioneering organization established to catalyze comprehensive cooperation between Pakistan and the African continent. PAEC is licensed by the Securities and Exchange Commission of Pakistan (SECP) under Section 42 of the Companies Act, 2017 as a not-for-profit public limited company.

This Privacy Policy explains how we collect, use, process, store, share, and protect personal information when you visit www.pakistanafrica.com, communicate with PAEC, participate in our programs or events, submit an inquiry, apply for membership or partnership opportunities, or otherwise interact with our services.

By using our website or voluntarily providing information to PAEC, you acknowledge the practices described in this Privacy Policy.

2Scope of This Privacy Policy

This Privacy Policy applies to personal information collected through:

• The PAEC website;
• Online inquiry and contact forms;
• Membership, partnership, collaboration, sponsorship, or participation forms;
• Business forums, conferences, exhibitions, trade missions, delegations, seminars, and networking activities;
• Newsletter and mailing-list subscriptions;
• Surveys, research initiatives, and stakeholder consultations;
• Email, telephone, social media, and other official PAEC communication channels; and
• Other programs, projects, and activities administered or facilitated by PAEC.

3Information We May Collect

The type of information we collect depends upon your interaction with PAEC.

3.1Personal Identification Information

We may collect information such as:

• Full name;
• Email address;
• Telephone or mobile number;
• Country and city;
• Postal or business address;
• Nationality;
• Job title or designation;
• Company, institution, organization, or business affiliation; and
• Professional profile information.

3.2Business and Professional Information

For membership, networking, investment facilitation, trade, business matching, delegations, events, or partnership activities, we may collect:

• Organization or company name;
• Industry or business sector;
• Business profile;
• Areas of professional interest;
• Products or services offered;
• Markets of interest;
• Investment or trade interests;
• Professional qualifications or experience; and
• Information required for business introductions or institutional collaboration.

3.3Event and Program Information

When you register for or participate in an event, delegation, conference, trade mission, meeting, or PAEC program, we may collect information necessary to organize and administer your participation.

Depending on the nature of the activity, this may include identification, travel, accommodation, dietary, accessibility, emergency contact, or other logistical information that you voluntarily provide or that is reasonably necessary for the relevant program.

Where identification or travel documents are required for a particular activity, PAEC will seek to collect only the information reasonably necessary for that purpose.

3.4Website and Technical Information

When you use our website, certain information may be collected automatically, including:

• IP address;
• Browser type;
• Device type;
• Operating system;
• Pages visited;
• Referring website;
• Date and time of access;
• Approximate geographic location derived from technical information; and
• General website usage and interaction information.

This information may be collected through cookies, analytics technologies, server logs, and similar tools.

3.5Communications

If you contact PAEC, we may retain your correspondence, including emails, messages, inquiries, feedback, applications, and information you provide during communications with our representatives.

4How We Use Your Information

PAEC may use personal information for legitimate organizational purposes, including to:

• Respond to inquiries and requests;
• Provide information about PAEC and its activities;
• Process membership, partnership, collaboration, sponsorship, or participation requests;
• Facilitate Pakistan–Africa business, trade, investment, tourism, education, technology, cultural, institutional, and economic cooperation;
• Organize conferences, seminars, trade missions, exhibitions, delegations, networking sessions, and other events;
• Facilitate appropriate business-to-business or institutional introductions where requested or reasonably expected;
• Communicate with members, partners, stakeholders, delegates, participants, and interested organizations;
• Send newsletters, announcements, invitations, publications, reports, or updates where appropriate;
• Conduct surveys, research, economic studies, stakeholder consultations, and program evaluations;
• Maintain organizational and administrative records;
• Improve our website, programs, communications, and services;
• Monitor website performance and security;
• Prevent fraud, misuse, unauthorized access, and security threats;
• Meet regulatory, legal, governance, audit, and compliance obligations;
• Protect the rights, property, security, and legitimate interests of PAEC, its stakeholders, and users; and
• Carry out other purposes explained to you at the time information is collected.

5Legal and Responsible Basis for Processing

PAEC processes personal information where processing is reasonably necessary for its legitimate organizational activities and objectives, where you have provided consent, where processing is required to fulfill a request or arrangement with you, or where PAEC is required to comply with applicable legal or regulatory obligations.

For individuals located outside Pakistan, additional privacy rights or legal requirements may apply depending upon their jurisdiction.

Where required by applicable law, PAEC will seek appropriate consent or rely upon another legally permitted basis for processing personal information.

6Marketing and Communications

If you subscribe to PAEC updates, participate in our activities, become a member, or express an interest in our initiatives, we may send you communications concerning:

• PAEC news and announcements;
• Conferences and business forums;
• Trade and investment opportunities;
• Delegations and international missions;
• Networking opportunities;
• Research and publications;
• Partnership opportunities;
• Training programs; and
• Other activities relevant to Pakistan–Africa cooperation.

You may request to stop receiving non-essential promotional or informational communications at any time by using an available unsubscribe option or contacting us at info@pakistanafrica.com.

Administrative, legal, transactional, or service-related communications may still be sent where necessary.

7Cookies and Similar Technologies

Our website may use cookies and similar technologies to improve functionality, understand visitor activity, remember preferences, enhance website security, and analyze website performance.

Cookies may include:

Essential Cookies: Required for basic website functionality and security.

Analytics Cookies: Used to understand how visitors interact with our website and help us improve its performance and content.

Preference Cookies: Used to remember certain user selections or preferences.

Third-Party Cookies: Certain third-party services integrated into our website may place or access their own cookies in accordance with their respective privacy policies.

You can control or disable cookies through your browser settings. Disabling certain cookies may affect the functionality or performance of parts of the website.

Where legally required, consent will be requested before non-essential cookies are activated.

8Sharing and Disclosure of Information

PAEC does not sell or rent personal information for commercial purposes.

We may disclose personal information where reasonably necessary to:

• Authorized PAEC employees, officers, representatives, consultants, or service providers;
• Technology, website hosting, email, communications, analytics, registration, or administrative service providers;
• Event organizers, venues, travel or logistical service providers when necessary for participation in an activity;
• Government authorities, regulators, diplomatic missions, chambers of commerce, trade organizations, or other institutions where necessary for an authorized PAEC activity;
• Business, institutional, or professional stakeholders where you have requested or reasonably expect PAEC to facilitate an introduction;
• Professional advisers, auditors, legal advisers, or compliance consultants; or
• Law enforcement authorities, regulators, courts, or other competent authorities where disclosure is required by law.

Where practical and appropriate, PAEC expects third parties handling personal information on its behalf to use the information only for the relevant purpose and to maintain appropriate confidentiality and security measures.

9Pakistan–Africa and International Data Transfers

PAEC operates in an international environment and facilitates engagement between stakeholders in Pakistan, African countries, and other jurisdictions.

Accordingly, information provided to PAEC may, where reasonably necessary, be communicated, accessed, processed, or stored outside the country in which it was originally collected.

This may occur, for example, when facilitating an international delegation, business introduction, conference, partnership, institutional collaboration, or other cross-border activity.

PAEC will take reasonable measures to ensure that personal information transferred internationally is handled responsibly and consistently with this Privacy Policy and applicable legal requirements.

10Data Security

PAEC takes reasonable administrative, organizational, and technical measures designed to protect personal information against:

• Unauthorized access;
• Loss or misuse;
• Unauthorized alteration;
• Accidental disclosure;
• Destruction; and
• Other unauthorized processing.

Access to personal information is intended to be restricted to persons who reasonably require it for authorized organizational purposes.

However, no website, electronic communication, database, or internet-based system can be guaranteed to be completely secure. Users should therefore exercise appropriate care when transmitting confidential or sensitive information electronically.

11Data Retention

PAEC retains personal information only for as long as reasonably necessary to:

• Fulfill the purposes for which it was collected;
• Maintain membership, stakeholder, project, or institutional records;
• Administer programs and events;
• Maintain appropriate historical, governance, audit, and organizational records;
• Resolve disputes;
• Protect legitimate organizational interests; and
• Meet applicable legal or regulatory requirements.

When information is no longer reasonably required, PAEC may delete, anonymize, archive, or securely dispose of it in accordance with its applicable record-management practices.

12Your Privacy Choices and Rights

Subject to applicable laws and reasonable verification of your identity, you may contact PAEC to:

• Request information about personal data we maintain about you;
• Request correction of inaccurate or incomplete information;
• Request deletion of information where there is no legitimate or legal reason for its continued retention;
• Withdraw consent where processing is based upon your consent;
• Request that certain communications be discontinued; or
• Raise a concern regarding the way your personal information has been handled.

Requests may be sent to info@pakistanafrica.com.

Certain requests may be subject to legal, regulatory, governance, security, archival, contractual, or other legitimate requirements that permit or require PAEC to retain specific information.

13Photographs, Videos, and Event Media

PAEC events, conferences, delegations, seminars, meetings, exhibitions, and public activities may be photographed, recorded, or filmed for documentation, reporting, educational, archival, media, and promotional purposes.

Where appropriate, PAEC may inform participants that photography or recording will take place.

Photographs or recordings from public or organizational events may appear on the PAEC website, social media platforms, reports, publications, presentations, press materials, or other official communication channels.

If you have a specific concern regarding the use of an identifiable photograph or recording, you may contact PAEC at info@pakistanafrica.com.

14Third-Party Websites and Platforms

Our website may contain links to third-party websites, social media platforms, partner organizations, government institutions, chambers, event platforms, or other external services.

PAEC does not control the privacy practices, content, security, or policies of third-party websites or platforms.

Visitors are encouraged to review the privacy policies of any external website before submitting personal information.

The inclusion of a link does not automatically imply responsibility for or endorsement of the third party's privacy practices.

15Social Media

PAEC may maintain accounts on platforms such as LinkedIn, Facebook, Instagram, YouTube, X, or other social and professional networks.

Information you provide or publish through these services may also be processed by the relevant platform according to its own privacy policies and terms.

PAEC is not responsible for the independent data-processing practices of third-party social media platforms.

16Information Concerning Children

PAEC's website and general services are primarily intended for professionals, organizations, institutions, entrepreneurs, businesses, policymakers, researchers, investors, and other adult stakeholders.

We do not knowingly seek to collect personal information from children through the website without appropriate authorization where required.

Where PAEC conducts a youth-oriented activity involving minors, appropriate consent, safeguarding, and information-handling measures may be implemented according to the nature of the program and applicable requirements.

17Research, Surveys, and Publications

PAEC may undertake research, surveys, economic studies, stakeholder consultations, or policy-related initiatives connected with Pakistan–Africa cooperation.

Where practicable, information used for statistical, analytical, or public research purposes may be aggregated or anonymized so individuals are not directly identifiable.

If identifiable information is intended to be published, appropriate notice or authorization will be obtained where reasonably required.

18Business and Institutional Introductions

One of PAEC's objectives is to facilitate connections and cooperation among businesses, investors, government institutions, trade bodies, professionals, chambers, development organizations, and other stakeholders.

Where an individual or organization asks PAEC to facilitate an introduction, or participates in a program where professional networking is a clear part of the activity, relevant professional or business contact information may be shared with appropriate stakeholders for that purpose.

PAEC will seek to limit such information sharing to what is reasonably relevant to the intended professional or institutional engagement.

19Confidential and Sensitive Information

Unless specifically requested for an authorized PAEC activity, users should avoid submitting highly sensitive personal, financial, medical, identification, authentication, or confidential information through general website contact forms.

Where sensitive information is legitimately required for a specific PAEC program, delegation, administrative process, or legal requirement, PAEC will seek to handle such information with additional care appropriate to its nature.

20Changes to This Privacy Policy

PAEC may update this Privacy Policy from time to time to reflect:

• Changes in our website or services;
• New programs or organizational activities;
• Changes in technology;
• Regulatory or legal developments; or
• Improvements to our privacy and information-management practices.

Any updated version will be published on this page with a revised “Last Updated” date.

We encourage visitors and stakeholders to review this Privacy Policy periodically.

21Governing Framework

PAEC operates from Pakistan and conducts its organizational activities subject to applicable laws and regulatory requirements of Pakistan.

Because PAEC engages with individuals and organizations internationally, additional privacy or data-protection requirements may apply depending upon the relevant jurisdiction, nature of the activity, and individuals involved.

Nothing in this Privacy Policy is intended to restrict any rights available to an individual under applicable law.

22Contact Us

If you have questions, concerns, requests, or complaints regarding this Privacy Policy or the way PAEC handles personal information, please contact:

We will make reasonable efforts to review and respond to legitimate privacy-related inquiries in an appropriate manner.