The European Union and the United Nations Development Programme inaugurated the Shaista Ikramullah Human Rights Education Centre in Lahore, a new Human Rights Centre funded under the Huqooq-e-Pakistan II project to advance human rights education, research and dialogue across Pakistan.
The Centre is designed as an interdisciplinary platform to support students, researchers, academics and civil society actors, encouraging engagement beyond traditional classrooms so that human rights principles are better understood and applied across sectors.
H.E. Raimundas Karoblis, Ambassador of the European Union to Pakistan, said: “The European Union hopes that this Centre will help shape the future Shaista Ikramullahs, who will not only support dignified lives in the country but also contribute to shaping the global discourse on human rights.” His remarks underlined the EU’s long-term partnership with Pakistan on human rights and inclusive governance.
SIHREC will actively involve students and emerging advocates as contributors to its programming and research priorities, cultivating a vibrant community that connects global human rights standards with local realities and helps young people shape their futures through practical learning.
Abdul Khalique Shaikh, Secretary of the Ministry of Human Rights, welcomed the Centre and reaffirmed government support for initiatives that strengthen human rights education and public engagement. He noted that platforms such as this Human Rights Centre connect learning with practice and foster collaboration between institutions, academia and civil society in promoting dignity, equality and justice.
The inauguration drew representatives from government, academia, civil society and the diplomatic community and included a panel discussion on bridging human rights studies and practice with contributions from the National Commission for Human Rights and the Lahore University of Management Sciences. The Global Campus of Human Rights will support key activities at the Centre.
Dr. Samuel Rizk, UNDP Resident Representative in Pakistan, said: “Human rights education is not abstract; it is a framework that shapes how people experience justice, dignity, and opportunity in their daily lives. The Shaista Ikramullah Human Rights Education Centre creates a space for learning that is grounded in practice, enabling young people to engage constructively with the systems that shape their rights, choices, and opportunities.”
The event concluded with the opening of a student-led art exhibition titled “The Quiet Curriculum of Justice”, organised with Kinnaird College for Women University, Lahore, reflecting the Centre’s commitment to extending human rights learning through creative, cross-disciplinary engagement. The launch marks the start of an opening week that will feature workshops, training sessions and activities to introduce the Centre’s mandate and set the groundwork for ongoing collaboration in human rights education in Pakistan.
