LAHORE:
Adviser to Chief Minister Begum Zakiya Shahnawaz on Tuesday directed all the departments concerned and civil society to finalise a draft of the proposed child rights commission within a week.
She said she would present it before the chief minister once ready. She instructed the Social Welfare Departments, Labour Department, Child Protection and Welfare Bureau to cooperate with civil society organisations to come up with the draft.
She issued the instructions at a consultation organised by Child Rights Movement (CRM) and Actionaid to mark the day.
A press release from the organisers said the consultation was organised to discuss how to improve the conditions for the children. They regretted that none of the political parties had observed the day.
PML-Q’s Amna Ulfat and PML-N’s Arifa Khalid attended the consultation.
The speakers stressed the need for an independent provincial commission on children’s rights. They said the commission should have the power to investigate cases of abuse and violence against children and monitor the implementation of United Nation Child Rights Convention (UNCRC).
SPARC’s Iftikhar Mubarik said in 2009 a UN report had recommended an “independent monitoring structure with a mandate to regularly evaluate progress in the implementation of the Convention.” He said the government had to establish such a commission.
Imdad Naqvi from CMC urged the government to expedite relevant legislation. He said the commission would promote and protect children’s rights.
Civil society representatives and government officials agreed to complete more consultations to finalise the draft of the commission within a week.
Published in The Express Tribune, November 21st, 2012.
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