The 4th Meeting of National Committee for the Implementation of UNCRPD, Incheon Strategy & Other International Commitments Pertaining to Disability was held at the Ministry of Human Rights, Islamabad. The meeting was chaired by the Federal Minister for Human Rights, Mian Riaz Hussain Pirzada. The meeting was attended by Director General Special Education, Islamabad, Special Education Department and Social Welfare Department Punjab, Social Welfare Department Khyber Pakhtunkhwa, Department for the Empowerment of Persons with Disabilities, Sindh, Social Welfare Department Balochistan, Social Welfare Department, Gilgit-Baltistan and Social Welfare Department Azad and Jammu Kashmir and prominent NGOs representing differently-abled people from each province including the federal capital, AJK and Gilgit-Baltistan. The Minister welcomed the esteemed guests from the Federal and Provincial Governments, UN Agencies, Non-Governmental Organisations representing differently-abled people. He stated that it is the responsibility of the Government at both Federal and Provincial levels and the civic duty of each citizen to make the environment inclusive for differently-abled people. The Director, Ministry of Human Rights, Mr Shahzad Ahmed Khan gave a detailed presentation on the strategy for the inclusion of differently-abled people by presenting the efforts undertaken by the Ministry of Human Rights with respect to Government of Pakistan’s international commitments as outlined in United Nations Convention on the Persons with Disability and Incheon Strategy. The Director General, Ministry of Human Rights, Mr Muhammad Arshad explained in the meeting that there was a lack of accurate data representing differently-abled people and emphasised upon the role of relevant Federal and Provincial stakeholders to update the data. He also stated that the Federal and Provincial implementation mechanisms should be aligned with the UNCRPD and the Incheon Strategy to provide further clarity on Pakistan’s international commitments. The Provincial Departments shared their progress on the policy implementation of mainstreaming differently-abled people and providing them with numerous facilities in their respective presentations. The Minister further appreciated the overwhelming response of the participants and stated that protection of rights of persons with disabilities is a provincial subject and that both Federal and Provincial governments should work together in the context of international reporting.
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