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Thank you, Mr. Chair,
We thank the Secretary General for his comprehensive reports on various aspects of promotion and protection of the rights of children, and take note of the recommendations therein.
We hope that Secretary General’s reports and briefings by the Special Rapporteurs / Mandate holders will set the direction of our efforts to promote and protect the rights of children in our countries and world-wide.
Mr. Chair,
As we celebrate the second year of the implementation of the 2030 agenda on sustainable development, growing inequalities continue to deprive the poorest and most excluded children of essential services.
According to the Secretary General’s report more than half a billion children — one out of every four children in the world — are either living in countries affected by conflict, natural disasters and or epidemics. This is a humanitarian crisis of epic proportions.
Despite progress made over recent years, children of our world continue to face situations that can only be described as desperate. Poverty, inequality and protracted conflicts remain the principal cause.
Mr. Chair,
Creating a world free of violence and conflict remains a challenge. A child’s right to freedom from all forms of violence is a human rights imperative.
The landmark Convention on the Rights of Child, together with its optional Protocols, has served as a centerpiece of the existing global legal framework to combat this challenge.
The special session of the General Assembly on Children, held in 2002, and adoption of the Declaration and Plan of Action on “A world fit for children” was an important step. This is reflective of our joint commitment to protect and promote the rights of children beyond nationalities, ethnicities and religions.
International resolve and commitment is a sine qua non for removing bottlenecks and obstacles in proper implementation of the relevant laws and Conventions.
Mr. Chair,
Pakistan attaches utmost importance to protecting and promoting the rights of children, which is both smart economics and a moral obligation. Pakistan was one of the co-initiators of the 1990 World Summit for Children, which led to the adoption of the landmark Conventions on Rights of Child.
We were one of the earliest signatories of the Convention on Rights of Child and its optional Protocol on Sale of Children, Prostitution and Pornography. Lately, Pakistan ratified the Optional Protocol on Children in Armed Conflict. Pakistan has also ratified all core ILO conventions on child labour.
The Government of Pakistan is fully committed to implementing the ambitious SDG targets on improving child health and education, addressing malnutrition, ending violence against children, eradicating poverty and reducing inequality among children.
We have established a National Commission for Child Welfare and Development, which works in close collaboration with UNICEF to assess and promote child rights in the country. A comprehensive Child Protection Bill is also currently under consideration to provide legal basis for protection of children from all kinds of abuse and exploitation.
For Pakistan, child related targets in SDGs complement some of our own developmental priorities for the coming decade. Our Vision 2025 includes child health and child education in its pillar one, as a top national development priority. It also aims at reducing infant mortality and maternal mortality.
In the education sector, we have set ourselves the target of increasing primary school enrolment and completion rate to 100%; and increasing the overall literacy rate to 90% within the next eight years.
Mr. Chair,
In conclusion, let me reassure you that Pakistan would not spare any effort to fully promote and protect the rights of children in accordance with our national and international obligations.
I thank you.