Parliamentary seminar on child protection concludes

Parliamentarians must ensure that children live in safety and dignity, Senate Acting Chairman Jan Mohammad Khan Jamali said at the conclusion of the Regional Parliamentary Seminar on protection of children.
The regional seminar organised by the Senate concluded on Friday evening. He said the work on children protection issues has to be done urgently because the issue is part of the United Nations Millennium Development Goals (MDGs).
Recommendation adopted at the conference included making of laws against corporal punishment of children and also effective legislation to protect children from sexual abuse.
Jamali said Pakistan had extra obligation in this regard because 'we have pledged internationally to do more for children.' Similarly, he expected that parliamentarians of Saarc countries would take appropriate action to ensure protective environment for all children.
Following is the text of recommendations:
(i) Do everything in our power to protect children and ensure respect for their rights;
(ii) Make sure that our country is party to the main instruments of international law for the protection of children's rights, in particular those that relate to juvenile justice;
(iii) Check the status and quality of reports submitted to the UN Committee on the Rights of the Child, provide input to these reports through public hearings and other parliamentary mechanisms, ensure follow-up to the recommendations made by the Committee and hold our governments accountable in this respect;
(iv) Develop an adequate legislative framework to meet internationally-agreed standards on children's rights. In so doing, we need to first carry out a comprehensive and informed situation analysis and harmonisation of legislation at the national and also at the regional level, we also need to monitor on a regular basis the effectiveness and relevance of Jaws;
(v) Call for and support the creation of an independent national bureau of statistics to collect comprehensive and desegregated data related to child protection. This bureau should report to the Parliament;
(vi) Ensure proper enforcement of legislation by ensuring that enforcement mechanisms are in place, have adequate resources and have trained staff and, if necessary, considering setting up specialised enforcement bodies such as a ministry for children's rights or an ombudsperson for children;
(vii) Empower children by ensuring that free universal primary education is provided to all children and that their rights are taught to them at the very start of the curricula; support the development of raising awareness campaigns, in co-operation with the media, to educate children and adults on children's rights;
(viii) Protect children at school by putting an end to the practice of corporal punishment;
(ix) Empower children by providing equal opportunities and protection to all, paying special attention to the particular situation of the girl child;
(x) Secure a balance between the responsibilities of the State and families in the protection of children;
(xi) Ensure that domestic violence is subject to investigation and documentation, and that it is debated in parliament and measures are taken to address the problem;
(xii) Develop child-friendly processes in our countries to ensure children's full participation with safety and dignity;
(xiii) Identify where child protection will be dealt within Parliament and within its existing committee structure and, where necessary, create a specific mechanism such as a subject of special committee on children issues;
(xiv) Support the establishment in our countries of juvenile justice systems based on a rights based approach and privilege restorative measures, the use of diversion and alternative measures;
(xv) Support the creation of separate mechanisms, processes and facilities for children in conflict with the Jaw that are governed by child-friendly procedures;
(xvi) Support the creation of specific facilities for children, like separate police units for children, open observatory homes, community based centres, and promote the use of alternative options to institutionalisation and detention which should be used as a last resort and for the shortest period;
(xvii) Secure respect for children's rights in conflict with the law and protect them form abuse and exploitation by the system by carrying out close monitoring of services, collecting information, carrying out visits to detention centres, etc;
(xviii) Ensure the effectiveness of juvenile justice mechanisms by securing adequate training of enforcement agents, adequate budgets and close monitoring;
(xix) Privilege and support mechanisms and initiatives that facilitate the reintegration and rehabilitation of child offenders and offers them a chance to develop themselves and contribute constructively to society;
(xx) Remain in regular contact, exchange information and best practices and support one another in our initiatives and action to promote children's rights; and
(xxi) Share the results of this seminar within our parliament and constituencies and ensure follow-up on recommendations made.