Consultation on National Human Rights Policy Framework and policy principles in collaboration with Ministry of Law, Justice &Human Rights (MoL, J&HR, Karachi)
The Strengthening Participatory Organisation (SPO) held a National Consultation to devise the National Human Rights Policy Framework and policy principles in collaboration with Ministry of Law, Justice & Human Rights (MoL,J&HR) about one year ago which has resulted a consolidated National Human Rights Policy Framework (NHRPF). With the support of National Endowment for Democracy (NED)
SPO is implementing a yearlong project to strengthen this document to a greater extent and hold wider stakeholder consultations.
The overall objective of the intervention is to facilitate thedefenceand promotion of human rights and the rule of law via introduction of human rights policy framework in the country. Following are the specific objectives of the interventions:
- To prepare a draft NHRPF for discussion and incorporation of stakeholders’ recommendations.
- To consolidate stakeholders’ recommendations in the draft NHRPF
- To present a consolidated NHRPF to the government for adoption
Under this project four provincial consultations and one national consultation will be held all over the country. The participants will be human rights activists, local intelligentsia and other relevant stakeholders to examine and propose recommendations in the draft NHRPF. Recommendations from these consultations will be incorporated in the final NHRPF, which will be shared with the government for adoption.
In this connection SPO in collaboration with MoL, J&HR arranged its third consultative meeting on December 24, 2014 at Karachi. The panelists of the event were: Justice (R) Majida Rizvi; Chairperson Sindh Human Rights Commission, Ms. Anis Haroon; Women Action Forum Karachi, Bishop Nazir Alam; Chairperson United Church Pakistan, Mr. Muhammad Arshad, Director General – Ministry of Law Justice & Human Rights Islamabad and Mr. Elahi Bakhsh Baloch, Regional Head SPO Karachi. The event was attended by the all relevant government departments, civil society organisations, representatives from minorities groups, persons with disabilities and local Intelligentsia. The Director General, MoL, J &HR briefed the participants about the purpose and need of ‘National Human Rights Policy Framework’ in Pakistan. He further explained the Ministry’s commitment on getting the draft policy approved by the federal cabinet. The participants discussed the draft policy in depth and shared their suggestions to be incorporated in the draft. The consultation concluded on a positive note and endorsed the need for a ‘National Human Rights Policy’ for the country.