ISLAMABAD: Pakistan’s third universal periodic review report will be presented before Human Rights Council (HRC) on November 13.
Ministry of Human Rights (MOHR) submitted the review report to the foreign office, which would then be presented to a United Nations body.
The report has bifurcated the information into thematic clustering which includes cross-cutting issues, civil and political rights, economic, social and cultural rights and rights of vulnerable groups.
MOHR International Commitment Director General Muhammad Hassan Mangi told the news agency that the report, drafted in line with United Nations’ guidelines and format, elaborated steps taken by federal and provincial governments, in collaboration with civil society organisations to uplift the standards of living of a common man.
This report is much substantial than first two reports submitted in 2008 and 2012, respectively, he stated.
“We have passed a number of laws to safeguard human rights of vulnerable groups, including children, women, transgender, and minorities,” he informed, adding that notification of human rights committees was under process in 65 districts of the country.
Moreover, HR mechanism—including the establishment of National Commission for Human Rights, National Commission on Status of Women—were already functioning, while setting up of National Institute of Human Rights was under process.
Human rights defenders and task force at federal and provincial levels have also started functioning in the country, the DG informed.
The Universal Periodic Review (UPR) is a unique process which involves a periodic review of the human rights records of all 193 United Nations member states.
It basically provides an opportunity for Pakistan to declare what actions it has taken to improve the human rights situations in the country.
The Pakistan’s human rights situation has been reviewed/accessed during its first cycle held in 2008 and during the second cycle of UPR held on October 30, 2012.
Several countries forwarded recommendations to Pakistan to improve its overall human rights situation by initiating constitutional amendments and reforms, legislation, improving institutional arrangements for protection of human rights, resolving gender issues—including violence against women, trafficking in women and girls, and improving women’s health—protecting rights of individuals and vulnerable groups, reducing enforced disappearances, improving economic, social to housing, clean water and sanitation, providing social security and alleviating poverty, etc.
