Compliance with commitments on child rights stressed

Islamabad : Society for the Protection of the Rights of the Child (SPARC) with the support of Save the Children organised a Seminar on ‘Pakistan’s International Commitments and compliance with Child Rights’ on Thursday.

Afshan Tehseen Bajwa, Chairperson National Commission on the Rights of Child (NCRC) shared that NCRC has been set up to make recommendations for effective implementation of policies related to children and recommend the Federal Government to sign, ratify or accede to any proposed International Treaties and Protocols in the best interest of children. She further added that although the commission has started only recently it has an integral role to play for promotion of child rights in Pakistan.

An empowered NCRC, which can only be achieved through cooperation of civil society and media, can assist the government in safeguarding the rights of Pakistani children.

Narjis Zaidi, Chairperson, Board of Directors, SPARC said that The United Nations Convention on the Rights of the Child (UNCRC) is an international human rights agreement which defines the civil, social, health, cultural, political and economic rights of children under the age of eighteen.

She added Pakistan ratified the Convention on the Rights of the Child on November 12, 1990 and the successive governments have renewed their commitment to creating friendly environment for all Pakistani children. Unfortunately, huge challenges remain for them in the country.

There are laws regarding child Education, Health, Nutrition, Juvenile Justice, Violence, Neglect, Labour and Marriage but unfortunately these laws have not been fully implemented.

Harris Khalique, Secretary General, Human Rights Commission of Pakistan said that Pakistan submitted its 5th Periodic Report UNCRC in 2015. The CRC committee highlighted several issues ranging from the incapability of the state to legislate in favour of children, barriers to enforcement of child laws and weak coordination among stakeholders.