The World Children's Day is celebrated annually on 20th November Pakistan as part of global effort to reaffirm our commitment to safeguard Rights of the Children. The protection of children's rights has always been the inspiration for human kind throughout generations. Our religion lslam also lays down strong obligations for the welfare and protection of the rights of children. The children because of their vulnerability need special care and protection.
Pakistan ratified seven core human rights conventions including UN Convention on the Rights of the Child and its Optional Protocol on Sale of Children, Child Prostitution and Child Pornography and Optional Protocol on the Involvement of Children in Armed Conflict
In accordance with the national and international obligations, the Ministry of Human Rights has taken various measures for the protection of the rights of children. National Plan of Action on Human Rights is being implemented which has an exclusive chapter on child protection, child Labour, education and other measures for ending discrimination and violence against children. The National Commission on the Rights of Child has been established which monitors child rights violations in the country. The Zainab Alert, Response and Recovery Act. 2020 has been enacted. Zainab Alert Response and Recover Agency has been established under the ZARRA Act, 2020 for raising alert in case of missing and abducting of children. The Zainab Alert App has been linked with Prime Minister's performance Delivery Unit (PMDU) for raising alerts in case of missing and abducted children. The Child Protection Institute has been established under ICT Child Protection Act, 2018 at ICT level for care and protection of children. Child Domestic Labour has been inserted in Part-l (Occupation) of the Schedule of the Employment of Children Act 1991 and it has been banned at ICT level. Besides, some Bills are in process of legislation i.e ICT Domestic Workers Bill, 2021 to safeguard the rights of domestic workers, Child Marriage Restraint (Amendment) Bill, 2019 to restrain child marriages under the age of 18 and the Prohibition of Corporal Punishment Bill, 2021 to impose complete ban on inflicting the corporal punishment.
The Ministry of Human rights has established helpline 1099 which regularly receiving complaints regarding human violations and proactively responding them. The Ministry of Human Rights has launched Public Sector Development Projects “Human Rights Awareness Programme” for awareness raising regarding human rights. Sub-Office of Human Rights has been established for the Newly Merged Districts of Khyber Pakhtunkhwa to institutionalize human rights in newly merged districts of Khyber Pakhtunkhwa. The Ministry of human Rights in collaboration with ILO and UNCEF has launched a National Child Labour Survey, which will be completed in 2022. The findings of the survey will support the government to make evidence-based policy decisions for the protection of children.
I would like to appreciate public and private sector organizations that are rendering services for the promotion and well-being of children. The role of media is also commendable in this regard. They are playing the role of catalysts and change agents at the grass root level to make the society child-friendly urge all these organizations to work out a coordination mechanism to establish linkages for maximizing efforts and enhancing synergies. I would like to appeal all parents to closely supervise their children to protect them from abuse, violence and exploitation.
*-*-*-*-*-*-*-*-*
Embargoed: Not to be published/broadcasted/issued before 12:00 am 20th November, 2021
