The National Commission on the Rights of the Child (NCRC), in partnership with UNICEF and the Office of the United Nations High Commissioner for Human Rights (OHCHR), convened a stakeholder consultation to prepare for Pakistan’s upcoming Committee on the Rights of the Child state review. Representatives from civil society, academia and the National Commission for Human Rights attended to deepen understanding of the CRC review process and the importance of stakeholders’ submissions in shaping child rights reporting.
In opening remarks, Dr Mehek Naeem, Member Punjab NCRC, reaffirmed the Commission’s commitment to promoting, protecting and advancing the rights of every child in Pakistan. She stressed collaborative dialogue, evidence-based policymaking and sustained engagement with provincial and national actors as essential to translating the Convention on the Rights of the Child into practical gains for children.
Ms Jennifer Milten, Chief of Child Protection at UNICEF Pakistan, highlighted Pakistan’s progress in recent years, citing nationwide Child Labour Surveys as a key source of data. These surveys, she noted, provide a critical basis for targeted policy responses, stronger child protection mechanisms and more effective advocacy to eliminate child labour and improve children’s wellbeing across the country.
Ms Christine Chung of OHCHR outlined the treaty reporting process and the role stakeholders play in ensuring accountability and effective advocacy. Her presentation included an overview of the optional protocols Pakistan has signed and their implications for national policy, as well as practical advice on how CRC submissions can be coordinated with other treaty bodies and international mechanisms to promote coherence and alignment with broader human rights obligations.
The consultation closed with a collective commitment to enhance coordination among government bodies, civil society and international partners, to prioritise evidence-based reporting and to sustain progress on child rights. Participants agreed that timely, well-documented stakeholder reports will be central to a robust CRC review and to advancing the rights and wellbeing of every child in Pakistan.
