For real change : ‘Lawmakers must go down to the grassroots’

Discussion held on effective implementation of global conventions

ISLAMABAD: With committee structures developing at the provincial level, parliamentarians must improve reporting mechanisms by effectively gathering input from all stakeholders to ensure implementation of human rights conventions ratified by Pakistan.

This was stated by members of the Organisation of Women in Parliamentary Politics (OWPP) at a roundtable discussion on Tuesday evening.



“From Global to Local” was held at the Pakistan Institute of Parliamentary Services where women lawmakers and former parliamentarians, as well as OWPP members, came to review the implementation of human rights conventions ratified by the country. They discussed the oversight role of parliamentarians and measures in creating awareness and linkages between parliamentarians and the executive.

Speaking on the occasion, OWPP Director Shahnaz Wazir Ali said provinces were now shaping up and communities consisting of more women were now creating space in Pakistan.



President of OWPP and former speaker of the National Assembly, Dr Fehmida Mirza, said many important bills related to UN conventions were moved in Parliament in recent times. “However, to keep the momentum going, it is essential to reactivate cells at the provincial level,” she said.

Ali said from 2008 to 2013, Pakistan achieved landmarks in legislation but also witnessed drawbacks such as the country not being able to submit its report to UN’s Committee on the Elimination of Discrimination against Women from 2010 to 2012.

Members were of the view that Pakistan had to take substantial steps in developing stronger reporting mechanisms. Awami National Party leader Bushra Gohar said there are problems in preparing reports as technical assistance is needed to gather data, adding that donor assistance must trickle down to the grassroots for better reporting.

Adding to that, Ali said Pakistan needed to be more proactive in representing the ground-level’s point of view at such forums.

Lawyer Ahmer Bilal Soofi, who gave a presentation on international conventions, said Pakistan must participate in global conferences linked with legislative processes.



He said at the moment there were more than 8,000 federal and 3,000 provincial statutes in Pakistan and each law was a management tool of the state.

Asim Iftikhar, DG of United Nations at the Ministry of Foreign Affairs, said the problem was threefold: implementation, inter-provincial coordination and lack of capacity. He said the ministry was also understaffed to adequately work on these issues.

Published in The Express Tribune, October 30^th, 2014.