ISLAMABAD, Pakistan: The UNICEF Country Representative in Pakistan Mr. Abdullah Fadil had a meeting with the Federal Minister for Human Rights Mian Riaz Hussain Pirzada in Islamabad on Friday.
Both sides reiterated their resolve to further enhance their working collaboration for protection and promotion of child rights.
The government of Pakistan through the Economic Affairs Division has signed Pakistan-UNICEF Country Program 2018-22. Under this program, two-year Rolling Work Plan (2021-22) has been signed between Ministry of Human Rights and UNICEF. The goals of this work plan are the prevention and protection of children from abuse at ICT level.
Mr. Abdullah Fadil acknowledged Pakistan’s efforts for realization of child rights. He expressed his satisfaction over the ongoing projects and said that UNICEF would extend its maximum support and assistance towards Ministry of Human Rights for the cause of child rights.
The UNICEF Country Representative said that there was a need to engage more and more stakeholders and social mobilisers to create awareness on child rights and prevention of child abuse.
The Minister for Human Rights Mian Riaz Hussain Pirzada thanked and appreciated UNICEF team for their perpetual support, collaboration and coordination for development activities in the country.
The minister outlined government’s commitment to the promotion of child rights. Minister stated that Child Labor Survey that is being conducted with the help of UNICEF would play an instrumental role in generating data on child issues leading towards better policy formulation.
Riaz Hussain Pirzada further said that the Ministry of Human Rights is working with an agenda to make the capital a child friendly city that would serve as a model for other provincial governments and for this purpose, strengthening and revamping of the Child Protection Institute and National Commission on the Rights of Child is well under way.
The Islamabad Child Protection Act, 2018 was enacted to provide protection services to the vulnerable children at ICT level. U/s 10 of the Act, The Child Protection Institute (CPI) was established under the Ministry of Human Rights to prevent abuse, maltreatment, injury and exploitation of children.
The CPI was made functional with the support of UNICEF. The main objectives of CPI were to rescue and provide safe shelter, Psycho-Social, reunification and referral services.
