Sindh govt reaffirms every child’s right to grow in safe environment

The Sindh government on Monday reaffirmed its commitment to fulfilling the right of every child to grow, learn, play and flourish in a safe, responsive and friendly environment, free of distress, hunger, fear and oppression.

Speaking at a World Children’s Day programme organised by the school education department in collaboration with Unicef Pakistan at a hotel, caretaker chief minister Justice (retd) Maqbool Baqar said the day is about having fun and celebrating the children in our lives.

Baqar said that the day is also about standing up for the rights of children and giving them the chance to speak up about the biggest challenges they face. “Sindh joins the world community today in celebrating World Children’s Day, an occasion for us all to reaffirm our commitment to the fundamental principles laid down in the United Nations Declaration of the Rights of the Child, and our national obligations under the UN Convention on the Rights of the Child [CRC].”

He said the CRC is an international human rights agreement outlining the specific rights children and young people can claim. As a signatory to the CRC and its two optional protocols, Pakistan’s government is committed to upholding the promotion and protection of the human rights of all children, and fulfilling its national and international obligations, he added.

“On World Children’s Day my government reaffirms the right of every child to grow in a safe environment, free of distress, hunger, fear and oppression,” said Baqar. Children are the most precious resource of any nation and the sole guarantee of its future, he added.

“The Government of Sindh is determinedly striving and making every effort to ensure that children have access to and enjoy their rights, particularly birth registration, access to education, nutrition and health care, clean drinking water and sanitation, dignity, security, and all other rights as envisaged in the CRC.”

He said the provincial government has undertaken a range of institutional and legal measures to eliminate the exploitation of children and their discrimination based on gender, religion and ethnicity. He appreciated Unicef and other partners, and said the education department has been working collaboratively for the full realisation of children’s rights.

Interim education minister Rana Hussain said on the occasion that World Children’s Day prompts us to acknowledge the challenges our children face while fostering the optimism that collectively, we can and should do more to ensure every child’s rights are not just recognised but fully realised.

She said that our collective responsibility lies in recognising the challenges that many children continue to face, with their needs and rights often remaining unmet and unrealised.

She underscored the essential role of women in the holistic development of children, both at home and in schools, saying that women play a pivotal role in rearing children, influencing their well-being and shaping their futures.

Recognising and supporting this role is fundamental to fostering a nurturing environment for our children, she added. The event was also attended by School Education Secretary Dr Shereen Narejo and representative of Unicef Pakistan Abdullah Fadil.