ISLAMABAD: Ministry of Human Rights (MOHR) on Monday organised a national consultative meeting to finalise Pakistan’s Third Universal Periodic Review Report (UPRR).
Chairing the inaugural session, Ministry of Human Rights Secretary Rabiya Javeri Agha, said that the Ministry of Human Rights is mandated to represent Pakistan at the international level.
In previous months, she informed, that the ministry presented and defended Pakistan’s reports on Child Rights Commission, Committee Against Torture, International Convent on Economic Social and Culture Rights and International Convent on Civil and Political Rights before United Nations.
She further stated that the Universal Periodic Review (UPR) is a unique process which involves a periodic review of the human rights records of all 193 UN member states.
It basically provides an opportunity for Pakistan to declare what actions have been taken to improve the human rights situations in the country. She further elaborated that Pakistan’s report will be presented on 13th November 2017 before the Human Rights Council.
Pakistan’s human rights situation has been reviewed and accessed during its first cycle held in 2008 and during the second cycle of UPR held on 30th October 2012, she further added.
Several states forwarded recommendations to Pakistan to improve its overall human rights situation by initiating constitutional amendments, institutional arrangements, reforms and legislation, to protect human rights as well as resolve gender issues.
She stated that the ministry disseminated the recommendations in 2012 and after wide consultations at provincial headquarters, the ministry has drafted a national report.
Muhammad Hassan Mangi, Director General, Ministry of Human Rights, stated that the report is to be submitted to the Foreign Office by July 31.
He appreciated that relevant information has been received from federal and provincial governments which enabled this ministry to draft the report in line with United Nations guidelines and format.
