The National Commission on the Rights of Child (NCRC) convenes Sixth Commission Meeting
ISLAMABAD, Pakistan, 23rd February 2023 – The sixth Commission Meeting of the National Commission on the Rights of Child (NCRC) was convened on 23rd February 2023, at the Secretariat of the Commission, as stipulated under the Section 3(1) of the National Commission on the Rights of Child Act, 2017 (XXXII of 2017). The meeting was the last commission meeting of NCRC first term and was presided over by the Chairperson NCRC, Ms. Afshan Tehseen, and she apprised the participants about the completion of NCRCs first three-year term of its operations and highlighted the progress and achievements of the programme as per the mandate.
The Commission Meeting was graced by the presence of the Minister of Human Rights- Mian Riaz Hussain Pirzada and was well-attended with the ex-officio Board Members, including: Mr. Nisar Ahmed-DG Social Welfare Sindh, Mr. Arif Anwer Baloch-Secretary NCSW, Mr. Nadeem Bhatti-DS Ministry of Interior, Mr. Muhammad Arshad-DG MOHR, Mr. Imran Khan-Secretary Social Welfare Balochistan, Ms. Tehreem Kanwal-Assistant Director MOFA, Mr. Manzoor Masih-Member NCHR, Mr. Syed Abid Ali Naqvi-District Officer Child Protection and Welfare Bureau.
In addition, NCRC Members: Mr. Jawadullah- KP; Mr. Hashim Kakar- Balochistan; Dr. Rubina Fareed- ICT and two child members Ms. Faryal and Mr. Tajdar attended the meeting as well. The Chairperson presented the Commission’s activities and achievements in delivering its mandate and the challenges faced over the years.
However, NCRC Member Sind and Punjab were not present at the meeting and the Minister showed displeasure on their absence.
The Minister of Human Rights praised the work and achievements of NCRC under the able leadership of the Chairperson Ms. Afshan Tehseen. He said that the commission has set examples in the field of child rights because of the expertise of its chairperson. He further added that all institutions need such leaders who are determined and enthusiastic about the work they do.
During the meeting it was also identified as how the Commission’s mandate was to examine and review laws and policies, inquire into violation of child rights, and advise the Government about ratifying international treaties as per its terms and conditions. It was also presented to the board that Under 15(e) and 15(k) of NCRC Act 2017, NCRC exercised quasi-judicial powers to address complaints of child rights violation. The complaint handling was one of the priorities of the Commission and till date it has dealt with 388 complaints. These complaints were resolved through proper inquiry and investigation.
The Commission has performed with tangible results on Law reforms awareness raising and policy recommendations. It has successfully developed Policy Briefs on Domestic Child Labour, Child Marriage, Forced Conversions and Street Children in Pakistan which have been launched across the country.
Also, drafts have been developed on Child Online Protection Policy, Juvenile Justice System Policy and Child Trafficking and Smuggling. Mass Awareness Raising on Child Rights was done through Print, TV and Digital Media Campaigns with almost 60+ Radio programs, 150+ TV shows, 350+ newspapers and 500+ posts on social media with a total estimated viewership of more than 2 million. Futher, 350+ Civil servants were trained about child rights and child protection issues.
In response, the meeting’s participants unanimously endorsed the previous meeting’s minutes and also acknowledged the achievements of NCRC under the direction of its Chairperson. The Members appreciated the Commission’s work in the past three years in creating visibility and spreading awareness about the programme on social media and other platforms, and also in development of Policy Briefs and law reforms.
Since its inception, NCRC has been instrumental in advancing child rights by proposing nationwide and provincial policy recommendations, engagement with parliamentarians, and awareness-raising campaigns.
About NCRC: The Federal Government has constituted the National Commission on the Rights of Child in exercise of powers conferred by Section 3(1) of the National Commission on the Rights of Child Act, 2017 (XXXII of 2017) under a notification issued on February 28, 2020. The Commission has an overarching mandate in accordance with international obligations under the United Nations Convention on the Rights of Child (UNCRC) and for matters related to the promotion, protection and fulfillment of child rights as enshrined in the NCRC Act 2017
