Child rights report highlights key issues
The National Commission on the Rights of the Child (NCRC) launched its inaugural State of Children in Pakistan Report 2024 at recently held a ceremony in Islamabad.
Federal Minister for Human Rights, Senator Azam Nazeer Tarar, was the chief guest at the launch, which was attended by ambassadors, UN representatives, parliamentarians, civil society representatives, and child rights advocates.
The first-of-its-kind national report offers a comprehensive, evidence-based overview of the situation of children in Pakistan, covering key areas such as health, education, child protection, participation, and overall welfare. Developed to address the persistent gap in consolidated child-focused data, the report draws from a wide range of credible sources to present a clear picture of both progress and challenges.
Key findings from the report highlight persistent issues, including high rates of out-of-school children, malnutrition, child labour, child marriage, and the vulnerability of children with disabilities and those from minority communities. At the same time, it documents progress in areas such as immunisation, legal reform, and awareness campaigns.
The report concludes with practical, actionable recommendations to improve outcomes for children, including investing in early childhood development, strengthening child protection systems, and ensuring inclusive education and healthcare services.
In her welcome remarks, NCRC Chairperson, Ayesha Raza Farooq said that while segregated and fragmented data have always existed, there has never been a comprehensive national report built exclusively on a child rights-based framework that integrates data across sectors- education, health, child protection, justice, inclusion, and participation.
This report is designed to address that gap and serve as a foundational resource for policymakers, researchers, development partners, and advocates. Importantly, this report is also timely given Pakistan's upcoming review by the UN Committee on the Rights of the Child, scheduled for May 2025. We hope the committee will view this report as a serious and constructive step towards accountability and transparency in fulfilling our obligations under the UNCRC."
As part of the launch event, a panel discussion titled "Realising the Convention on the Rights of Child in Pakistan" was held, featuring prominent experts and practitioners.
The discussion highlighted critical intersections between policy, data, and action required to fulfil the rights of children in line with the UNCRC. FIA Additional Director, Amna Baig, emphasised the importance of forging strong partnerships with social media platforms to address cybercrime, noting that global policies often fail to reflect local realities, particularly in the context of transnational crimes, calling for greater contextualisation of international best practices.
Sarah Belal, Executive Director, Justice Project Pakistan, called for reworking the juvenile justice framework in the country, stressing that child victims should not be criminalised and instead should be supported through diversion programs, rehabilitation centres, and an increased number of probation officers as resources and infrastructure need a significant increase.
Dr Manizeh Bano, Executive Director of Sahil, spoke about the difficulties faced by civil society organisations in raising awareness around child rights and urged for stronger grassroots engagement.
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