International Cooperation Wing

 

 

Major Functions

 

  1. Seven Core Human Rights Conventions, ratified by the Government of Pakistan and Universal Periodic Review (UPR)
  • International Convention on the Elimination of All Forms of Racial Discrimination
  • Convention on the Elimination of All Forms of Discrimination against Women
  • International Covenant on Economic Social and Cultural Rights
  • International Covenant on Civil and Political Rights
  • Convention on the Rights of Child
  • Convention against Torture and other Cruel, Inhuman or Degrading Treatment or Punishment 
  • Convention on the Rights of Persons with Disabilities
  1. Collaboration with UN Agencies, INGOs and  NGOs
  2. Representation of Pakistan in the international events (meetings, sessions, workshops, seminars, webinar, conferences etc.) pertaining to human rights
  3. Legislative and policy initiatives under UN Conventions
  4. Issues related to GSP Plus
  5. Parliamentary Business

 

Significant Achievements

 

Human Rights Conventions

 

  • Translation of HR Conventions and UDHR and UN Guidelines into national language and its dissemination
  • Preparation of  following obligatory reports, its submission and  presentation to the concerned treaty bodies in collaboration with MoFA:

               -  Combined (24th to 26th) periodic report on ICERD

               -  Three Initial Reports - ICCPR, ICESCR, CAT and Second Periodic Reports

               -   5th Periodic Report on CEDAW

               -   3rd UPR Report

   -   Initial Report on CRPD

  • Follow-up Reports on ICERD, CAT, ICCPR and ICESCR (Reports on ICERD and ICESCR and ICCPR are with MoFA, while, CAT report is under finalization, keeping in view observations received from MoFA 
  • Report on Implementation of the Beijing Declaration and Platform for Action 
  • Progress Report on Implementing OIC Plan of Action for Advancement of Women.
  • Prepared consolidated matrix on UN Recommendations pertaining to obligatory reports and its sharing with relevant Departments of the Federal and Provincial Governments for seeking reports on quarterly basis

 

2.  Collaboration with UN Agencies, INGOs/ NGOs, Bilateral/ Multilateral

  • Technical/ financial support for preparation of Capacity Building Module on 7 Core ratified HR Conventions (Oxfam)
  • Arranged consultative meeting at Karachi, Lahore and Peshawar in collaboration with Oxfam and DRI
  • Collaboration with Care International
  • Arranged consultative meetings of UN ESCAP delegation with relevant Ministries/ Divisions
  • Prepared Action Plan on Incheon Strategy and shared with relevant Stakeholders
  • Arranged consultative meeting of EU delegation with relevant Ministries/ Divisions Departments in October, 2018
  • Constituted National Committee for Implementation of UN CRPD having representation from  UNESCO and WHO
  • 3rd meeting of the Committee held on 10th April, 2019
  • Review of Mercy Petition Process
  • Constituted Committee for implementation of Transgender Persons (Protection of Rights) Act, 2018
  • A ToT conducted in March, 2019 for capacity building of committee members in collaboration with UNDP
  • Capacity building of Government officers (Provincial and Regional) on UNCRPD and Incheon Strategy

 

3. Representation of Pakistan in the international events

  Participation in the:

  • Review meetings of obligatory reports, held in Geneva
  • Annual session of the UN Commission on the Status of Women at New York
  • Preparatory meeting for CSW held in Bangkok – UN ESCAP, February, 2019
  • Colombo Plan on Gender April & August, 2018
  • Shanghai Conference on Gender issues May, 2018
  • Asia Europe Meeting (ASEM) Conference September, 2018
  • OIC 7th Conference on Women Development November, 2018, Barkino Faso
  • Financial support from UN Agencies particularly (UNICEF & UNWOMEN) for Pakistan’s representation
  • Review meeting of Incheon Strategy, held in Beijing, China
  • Consultative meeting to review draft Action Plan on Incheon Strategy, by UNESCAP at Bangkok
  • Pak-EU Annual dialogue/ meeting
  • Annual Session of Human Rights Council

 

4. Legislative and policy initiatives in response to international commitments

  • ICT Rights of Persons with Disability Act, 2020
  • Christian Marriage (Amendment) Bill, 2018 and Divorce (Amendment) Bill, 2018
  • Torture, Custodial Death and Custodial Rape (Prevention and Punishment) Bill, 2018
  • Domestic Violence (Prevention and Protection) Bill, 2019
  • ICT Rights of Senior Citizens Bill, 2019
  • Protection of Journalists and Media Professionals Bill, 2020
  • Prepared Model Policy on Ending Violence against Women and      Girls
  • Prepared Home Based Workers Policy

 

 

5.  Issues related to GSP Plus

  • Treaty Implementation Cells established at the Federal and Provincial level on the initiative of IC section
  • Translation of HR Conventions into national language and its dissemination
  • Preparation of reports on List of Issues pertaining to HR Conventions and its submission to EU through Ministry of Commerce
  • Follow-up with stakeholders on ten issues identified by EU, while reviewing Pakistan’s Report on GSP+ and implementation of the decisions taken in the meeting held in PM office

 

6. Parliamentary Business

  • Response to questions, resolutions, motions and calling attention notices pertaining to HR Conventions, as and when required  
  • Briefing / response to Parliamentary Committees on Human Rights on issues pertaining to Human Rights Conventions
  • Way Forward
  • Urdu translation of HR conventions obligatory reports
  • Capacity Building of relevant Provincial Departments on Human Rights Conventions
  • Finalization of policy on Home-Based Workers
  • Coordination with the Departments to expedite progress on issues pertaining to GSP Plus
  • Finalization of Model Policy for Ending Violence against Women
  • Presentation of Pakistan’s initial report on UNCRPD before relevant Committee
  • Enactment of proposed legislation