Huqooq-e-Pakistan training programme on human rights inaugurated

Two-day training session aims at enhancing technical and operational capacities of G-B welfare departments

GILGIT:

Minister for Social Welfare and Women Development for Gilgit-Baltistan (G-B) Sheikh Nasir Hussain Zamani has stressed the need for ending all kinds of discrimination from the society.

He was speaking at the inaugural session of a two-day training on “Pakistan’s International Human Rights Reporting Obligations” organised by European Union funded Promotion of Human Rights in Pakistan (Huqooq-e-Pakistan) programme in collaboration with the G-B government on Monday.

The training was aimed at enhancing the technical and operational capacities of the G-B Treaty Implementation Cell and the Social Welfare, Population Welfare, Women Development, Child Rights, Human Rights and Youth Affairs Department. Around 25 focal persons from all key departments are participating in the session.

The minister urged participants for taking inspiration from Islamic teachings and work on volunteerism in their area of influence. He highlighted the need to build shelter homes for the protection of vulnerable segments and called for collaborative efforts to end human rights violations.

Secretary Social Welfare, Population Welfare, Women Development, Child Rights, Human Rights and Youth Affairs-Gilgit Baltistan Sanaullah said that protection of human rights is a major obligation of the state.

He said that the Department of Women Development and Human Rights are relatively new organisations established in 2017 and the training will greatly contribute in the capacity building of its staff member in effective reporting of Pakistan’s international commitments.

The event also featured a video message from the Head of Cooperation, EU Delegation Pakistan, Ovidiu Mic.

He highlighted the EU interventions in Pakistan, saying that respect of human rights and rule of law are the core of all EU activities including trade agreements.

Senior Key Expert Huqooq-e-Pakistan (HeP) programme Ali Dayan Hasan gave an overview of HeP programme and training objectives.

He said that the training will help bridging the substantive and procedural knowledge-gaps with respect to Pakistan’s international human rights reporting obligations among the key human rights institutions.

He said that it will also equip relevant ministries and departments with the pre-requisite information required in fulfilling their mandates with respect to international human rights reporting.

The Huqooq-e-Pakistan is a EU funded programme with the objective of supporting the continued efforts of the government for the promotion of human rights.

The purpose of the programme is to strengthen the institutional and policy framework at the federal and the provincial level for the promotion and protection of human rights.