Islamabad: The Child Rights Movement (CRM), a network of more than 100 organizations, welcomed the enactment of the Right to Free and Compulsory Education Act 2012 for schools established by the Federal government and local government in ICT.
Addressing a press conference in connection with the Universal Children’s Day and Pakistan’s Universal Periodic Review Recommendations, the CRM representatives, urged the government to immediately make budgetary allocation and notify rules for the effective implementation of the Right to Free and Compulsory Education Act 2012. The CRM also demanded of the provincial governments to immediately enact the Right to Free and Compulsory Education laws in accordance with Article 25-A of the Constitution of Pakistan.
The CRM representatives said that government should review concerns raised by countries in the Human Rights Council’s (HRC) 14th Session, held on 30th October in Geneva, on Pakistan’s Universal Periodic Review (UPR) on the state of human as well as child rights. A number of countries in the session urged the government to introduce enabling legislations to implement the United Nations Convention on the Rights of the Child which Pakistan ratified 22 years ago.
During Pakistan’s Universal Periodic Review session, the UAE was concerned about the role and capacity of NCCWD and the state of education; the UK was worried about minority children being affected various laws; Uruguay expressed concern about the forced recruitment and military training of children by non-state agents; Bhutan highlighted weak legislative framework and vulnerable state of children and other groups and France shared its concerns about increasing worst form of child labour and violence against women and girls.
Recommendations were made for Pakistan to improve the state of child rights. Specific country recommendations included: Establish the National Commission on the Rights of Children (Italy); Pass the Charter of Child Rights Bill 2009 (Bhutan; Take effective measures to prevent forced or early marriage, in particular with a view to ending rape, sexual exploitation and forced conversions (Austria); Align national legislation with the Optional Protocol to the CRC on the Sale of Children, Child Prostitution and Child Pornography (Slovenia) and Slovakia recommended to enact efficient legislation to prohibit and prevent the employment of children as child domestic workers and to consider an early ratification of the third OP to the CRC on communication procedures.
Similarly, Iran recommended Pakistan to develop the child protection management information system and advancement of in child immunization and Ireland recommended implementing the Bonded Labour System Abolition Act 1992 and its national plan of action. Djibouti recommended to achieve MDGs; design and implement comprehensive prevention programmes, and address food insecurity and malnutrition by adopting policies at federal and provincial levels to make vaccines mandatory and Kuwait recommended to continue efforts to speed-up attaining MDGs, particularly those related to health.
The CRM members urged the government to accept all children specific recommendations and immediately take measures to implement the UNCRC. The CRM recommended specifically to passing the Charter of Child Rights Bill, the Criminal Laws Amendment (Child Protection) Bill, the National Commission on the Rights of Children Bill, the Child Marriages Restraint Amendment Bill and the Prohibition of Corporal Punishment Bill and urged the federal and provincial governments to increase budgetary allocations in health, education and children specific scheme, programs and projects.
The CRM asked the federal government to help as well as push provincial governments for investing in children and introducing laws in the remaining few months of all assemblies. The CRM regretted that Balochistan failed to introduce any child rights specific legislation.
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