Islamabad - Pakistan is among one of the nations which promoted human rights within an international legal framework by taking numerous progressive steps to safeguard fundamental rights of the people.

Pakistan possesses strong constitutional structure for human rights as a primary source of the policy and law while it is a signatory to principal international Human Rights treaties and conventions, said Secretary Ministry of Human Rights Rabiya Javeri Agha.

Pakistan joined international fraternity of people to celebrate 70th Anniversary of the Universal Declaration of Human Rights (UDHR) which will take place on December 10 this year, she told this agency.

This anniversary marks the adoption of universal principles that established common standards and human rights values for all nations, she added.

By commemorating the 70th Anniversary of UDHR, nations can assess their challenges and measure progress in human rights, particularly through stronger monitoring systems, implementation mechanisms and collaborative alliances, the secretary informed.

As a member of global community, Pakistan is also deeply affected by political, socio-economic and environmental patterns that adversely impact human rights, she said.

Despite all these challenges, National Assembly of Pakistan has passed five bills on the rights of the vulnerable groups last year including `The National Commission on the Rights of the Child Act, 2017,   “The Criminal Laws Amendment) Act, 2017”   “The National Commission on “The Status of Women (Amendment) Act, 2017” “National Commission on the Rights of the Child Act, 2017” “The Women in Distress and Detention Fund (Amendment) Act, 2017, while recently two more bills the Islamabad Capital Territory Child Protection Act,20l8, the Juvenile Justice System Act, 2018.

To apprise the international community with the steps taken to ensure rights of people despite limited resources, the Ministry of Human Rights (MOHR) is holding first ever three-day conference from February 19 to 21, she said.

An official of Ministry of Human Rights informed that the title of the conference, “Owning Human Rights for a Better World”, has been selected after thorough consultation of all the stakeholders in which delegates from around the world would gather and pin points key areas which needed to be focused for welfare of masses.

He further elaborated that three themes selected for the conference including, “Protecting Women and Children under national and international frameworks”, “Protecting Women and Children under national and international frameworks”          and “Development and Human Rights” cover all the vulnerable groups.

The basic idea for finalizing these themes was that majority of countries have signed international conventions and treaties of Human Rights but still there is a need to establish a framework for implementation to achieve targets especially at grass root level, he stated.

These thematic plenary sessions are expected to focus on common challenges facing international community in providing protection of human rights, he said.

The plenary debates provide an opportunity to various stakeholders to share experiences and good practices with delegates and observers, while there shall be three Working Groups, comprising delegates and Rapporteurs, to formulate recommendations and reports.

After conclusion of the event, a consolidated Conference Report shall be prepared including policy recommendations, he informed.

The Conference shall be attended by national and foreign delegates including international human rights experts, UN representatives, parliamentarians, government officials, Commissions on Human Rights, diplomats, members of civil society organizations, NGOs, INGOs, academia and the media.