Consultation held on how to prevent child abuse

HR ministry stresses shaping national strategy to fulfill international obligations

ISLAMABAD: The Ministry of Human Rights on Tuesday organized a national consultation on child abuse and online safety.

The objective of consultation was to review chapter of the National Plan of Action for children 2006 on “child abuse” for further improvement and development of a comprehensive plan of action to address the issue and ensure online safety of children.



Representatives from relevant federal, provincial department, civil society organizations and media attended the event. Ministry of Human Rights Secretary Rabiya Javeri Agha said that the issue of child abuse is resurfacing. She called upon civil society organizations to join hands with the government to address the issue. She asked the participants to come up with a set of recommendations to address the issue effectively in a coordinated manner.

Ministry of Human Rights Director General IC Muhammad Hassan Mangi shared the background of the National Plan of Action for Children, 2006. He specifically described the chapter on child abuse and asked participants to review, keeping in view the national, regional and international commitments.

National Action Coordinating Group (NACG) Co-chair Valarie Khan talked about South Asian Initiative to End Violence against Children (SAIEVAC)’s Regional Strategy on child sexual abuse and protection including online safety.



She added that the proposed national strategy should be aligned with the national and regional commitments including United Nations Convention on the Rights of Child (UNCRC) and SAIEVAC.

Pakistan Paediatric Association’s Dr Tufail Muhammad highlighted the role of civil society organization in addressing the issue of child abuse. Participants have reviewed the chapter of child abuse and provided their input for its further improvement.

Ministry of Human Rights Secretary thanked the participants for their participation and valuable input. She assured that the Ministry of Human Rights will take all possible measures to protect children from abuse.