Govt is committed to ensure rights of every citizen: Mazari

Islamabad : Federal Minister for Human Rights Dr Shireen Mazari on Thursday said that the government is committed to ensure the rights of every citizen and is in the process of formulating plan of action to implement Incheon Strategy, UN Convention on the Rights of Persons with Disabilities, (UNCRPD).

She expressed these views while a chairing meeting of the International Commitments’ (IC) wing of the ministry of human rights regarding the implementation of the Incheon Strategy and other international commitments pertaining to disability.

Besides Director General IC, Hassan Mangi, DG Human Rights Muhammad Arshad and other high officials of the ministry were among the attendants. The minister was briefed about UNCRPD, Incheon Strategy and action plan for its implementation.

DG IC Hassan Mangi briefed the Minister that Pakistan ratified the United Nations Convention on the Rights of Persons with Disabilities (UNCRPD) which requires to establish mechanism to monitor implementation of the Convention by involving relevant Government Departments and Civil Society Organizations, in particular persons with disabilities and their representative organizations to fully monitor the process.

It was also told that Ministry of Human Rights, being the focal Ministry has constituted a National Committee at the National level to monitor the implementation of UNCRPD and other international commitments pertaining to disabilities, including Incheon Strategy.

The Committee consists of the representatives from the relevant Federal Ministries, Provincial Departments, Parliament, Civil Society, DPOs/CBOs/NGOs and relevant UN Agencies. The meeting was further told that availability of reliable current statistical data with regard to persons with disabilities was considered as a major challenge while responding to various indicators of the survey.

It is pertinent to mention that the Government of Pakistan has to provide data and other information for the final review of Incheon Strategy, expected in 2021. Draft Action Plan envisions interventions to facilitate the Government for collection of data and information by the relevant Federal and Provincial Departments has been shared with the relevant stakeholders for their ownership and finalization.

The minister was also apprised that Pakistan Bureau of Statistics has conveyed commitment to collect data on Incheon Strategy Goal 1 and 8 in their upcoming “Pakistan Social and Living Standards Measurements (PSLM) Survey (2019-20)”. However, Pakistan Labour Force Survey Questionnaire will be modified with the relevant part to collect the data on Goal 4 of the Incheon Strategy Action Plan – while planning its next survey. Pakistan Health and Demographic Survey (2017-18) first time collected data on disability by using Washington Group of Question.