One Day Consultation on National Human Rights Policy Framework in Pakistan – SPO Lahore
The Strengthening Participatory Organisation (SPO) held a National Consultation about a year agoto devise the National Human Rights Policy Framework and policy principles in collaboration with Ministry of Law, Justice & Human Rights (MoL,J&HR). The National Consultation resulted a consolidated National Human Rights Policy Framework (NHRPF). To further strengthen this document and hold greater extent of stakeholder consultations, SPO is implementing a yearlong project which is supported by the National Endowment for Democracy (NED).
The overall objective of the intervention is to facilitate in promoting and defence of human rights and the rule of law through 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 stakeholdersrecommendations 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 of Pakistan for adoption.
In this connection SPO in collaboration with MoLJ & HR arranged its Second consultative meeting in Lahore on 13th November 2014. The panel lists of the event included Mr. Khalil Tahir Sindhu, Provincial Minister for Human Rights & Minority Affairs, Mr. I. A. Rehman, renowned human rights activist and Mr. Salman Abid, regional head of SPO Lahore. The event was attended by the officials from all relevant government departments, Civil Society representatives 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 at length 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.