Govt asked to develop, approve rules of business for action on child rights

Islamabad : Child Rights Movement (CRM) Pakistan has demanded the government to develop and approve rules of business for the National Commission on Rights of the Child (NRC) Act 2017.

In a letter to the prime minister, the CRM members conveyed their grave concerns about the long delay in the development and approval of the Rule of Business for the National Commission on the Rights of Child Act, 2017. Under this act, the National Commission on Rights of the Child (NCRC) was established, and the federal government appointed Chairperson and Members in Feb 2020. NCRC is an important stakeholder in fulling international commitments made under United Nations conventions and GSP plus. The PM was requested regarding the commitment of the current government to fulfill national and international commitments to protect, provide and promote child rights.

It was mentioned that a more empowered NCRC is essential not only for assisting the government in safeguarding the rights of children but also for the image-building of the country. Moreover, it was mentioned in the correspondence that sufficient financial resources allocation is crucial to sustain NCRC and to meet the required human, administrative and financial needs of the institution. Allocation of enough financial resources for NCRC will further help to build the momentum of the country to boost efforts on child rights.

The long delay in the development and approval of Rule of Business and lack of adequate budgetary allocation is the major cause of concern for all child rights activists. It is also causing demotivation and unrest among the NCRC members too. CRM appealed to the PM to direct the Ministry of Human Rights to develop Rule of Business of the NCRC Act, 2017, and approval of the Rule of Business from the cabinet without any further delay.

Furthermore, the PM was requested to instruct the concerned ministry to allocate a sufficient budget for NCRC. The Child Rights Movement (CRM) Pakistan is a network of more than 450 NGOs and concerned individuals working for the protection of children’s rights in Pakistan. CRM is working in collaboration with the government, the National Commission on Rights of the Child (NCRC), civil society, and academia. The CRM national secretariat is based at Sustainable Social Development Organization (SSDO) Islamabad office.