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| May 22, 2005 | Sunday | Rabi-us-Sani 13, 1426 |
PM urges regional cooperation to protect children’s rights
ISLAMABAD, May 21: Prime Minister Shaukat Aziz has announced setting up of a child welfare and protection centre in Islamabad to serve as a model for other cities. It would provide a number of facilities for identification, reporting, investigation, treatment and follow up of child maltreatment and abuse.
He was speaking at the concluding session of a South Asia regional consultation for UN Secretary-General’s study on violence against children here on Friday.
The prime minister said a child welfare and protection bureau was already working in Punjab and was being replicated in other provinces.
He said similar centres were also being set up at district levels for streamlining the efforts and bringing together best practices.
Addressing the participants from Afghanistan, Bangladesh, Bhutan, India, Maldives, Nepal and Sri Lanka, Prime Minister Aziz said Pakistan wanted to live with peace in the region.
Prime Minister Aziz termed education and health as a key to transforming the societies and urged the need to direct the resources in bringing a qualitative improvement in human capital.
He said the government was providing free education up to secondary level, free textbooks, scholarships, nutritional food to girls as an incentive to enrol in schools and cut down on drop outs.
“We wish to spend more on development and on schools, hospitals and social services for our children, who are our asset.”
He said existing laws on children were being assessed and legislation for child protection was in final stages.
“Our children would benefit if we live in peace and build our economies.” The prime minister reiterated that Pakistan wanted to live in peace. It wanted to focus more and more on human development and spend more on schools, hospitals and social services.
“As the society becomes more enlightened, tolerant, democratic and progressive through education, it will transform our cultural values and minimize violence against children,” he added.
He said children were the most “vulnerable group” in the societies and were facing numerous challenges, like violence, sexual abuse and, harassment, which, he added were mainly caused by poverty, illiteracy and intolerance.
Mr Aziz stressed “urgent and effective national and international action” to counter the threats from social inequality, inadequate economic conditions, armed conflicts, displacement and exploitation, and asked for implementation of the UN’s Millennium Development Goals.
“As a signatory of the Convention on the Rights of the Child (CRC), we are committed to provide an enabling environment to the children to harness their full potential, without fear and abuse,” he added.
The prime minister said there was a need to build partnerships between private sector and the civil society to fight violence against children.
He said the South Asian countries can share the experiences and best practices and learn from each other to eliminate the menace of violence against children.
Minister for Social Welfare Zubeda Jalal said there was political will at the highest level for addressing complex issues of violence against children.
UN Secretary-General’s independent expert Prof Paulo Sergio Pinheiro hoped that the consultation would prove to be a springboard for positive action on issues facing the child.
Regional Director of UNICEF Cecilia Lotse pledged that the agency would work with countries, families and children to end corporal punishment, early marriage and do more to ensure that street children are better protected.
The prime minister at the end of the session went to the young Hafiz Mohammad Shiraz (9) from Quetta, hugged him and complimented him for his excellent recitation from the Holy Quran, during the conference.—APP/PPI
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