KARACHI: Pakistan’s Ministry of Human Rights and the World Health Organization (WHO) have initiated consultations to prepare a Strategic Action Plan on Violence Against Children with the vision of strengthening prevention and protecting 112 million children across the country, they said in a joint statement on Saturday.
In Pakistan, children experience multiple forms of violence – including violent killing, physical violence, sexual violence, psychological violence, and child neglect, according to the statement.
The WHO-Pakistan consultations with relevant partners and experts began in Karachi and concluded in Islamabad on Friday, with participation from all provinces and self-governed areas.
The plan will be grounded in the principles of the Convention on the Rights of the Child and the INSPIRE framework, an evidence-based package developed by a group of 10 international agencies under the leadership of WHO.
“We recognize that fragmented efforts must now evolve into a cohesive, national, multi-sectoral strategy, one that mobilizes education, health, law enforcement, and community systems together. The National Strategy on Violence Against Children will provide that unified vision, with measurable targets, clear institutional responsibilities, and a robust monitoring and evaluation framework,” said Federal Secretary, Ministry of Human Rights, Abdul Khalique Shaikh.
