ISLAMABAD – In its upcoming meeting on Wednesday, the federal cabinet is likely to approve the ratification of the United Nation’s Optional Protocol to the Convention on the Rights of the Child on the sale of children, child prostitution and child pornography.
The optional protocol, adopted and opened for ratification and accession by the United General Assembly resolution on May 25, 2000, and enforced on January 18, 2002, was designed to achieve the purposes of the Convention on the Rights of the Child and the implementation of its provisions and guarantee the protection of the child from the sale of children, child prostitution and child pornography.
The convention on the Rights of the Child recognises the right of the child to be protected from economic exploitation and from performing any work that is likely to be an obstacle to the child’s education, or harmful to a child’s health or physical, mental, spiritual, moral or social development.
The protocol was added to the convention realising that significant increase in international traffic of children had taken place for the purpose of the sale of children, child prostitution and child pornography.
The protocol aimed at taking measures to eliminate all such exploitation by adopting a holistic approach, addressing the contributing factors, including underdevelopment, poverty, economic disparities, inequitable socio-economic structure, dysfunctional families, lack of education, urban-rural migration, gender discrimination, irresponsible adult sexual behaviour, harmful traditional practices, armed conflicts and trafficking.
