Second Issue of the Journal of Children’s Rights- Rawalpindi Medical University

Abstract

It is with great pleasure that we are presenting the second issue of the Child Rights Journal-Rawalpindi Medical University. The main objective behind the journal is to broaden and deepen the knowledge base around children’s rights and their violations in homes, schools, workplaces, Institutions, and other such settings.
The UN General Assembly adopted the Convention on the Rights of the Child (CRC) in November 1989 and since then has been almost universally ratified. The goal of the CRC is to ensure the establishment of rights and provision for children in the socio-cultural, health, political and economic spheres. All state parties to the CRC, including Pakistan, have pledged to bring all their laws and policies in conformity with the CRC. They are further obliged to strive for the enforcement of these rights across the board without any discrimination or biases. Promoting children’s rights and protecting children against abuse, neglect, and exploitation is a collective responsibility of the state and the society at large. Children’s rights can be realized through protective laws, public awareness of children's rights, and creating an enabling environment, where all children have the opportunities to reach their full potential.
In this issue of the Child Rights Journal, Nabila Chaudhry has undertaken a critical review of “Pakistan’s Policy for Persons with Disabilities and National Plan of Action”. Children with disabilities are uniquely at greater risk for abuse, discrimination, and exploitation due to the fact that they are disabled and that they are children. According to the Convention on the Rights of persons with disabilities, the State Parties shall ensure that children with disabilities have the right to express their views freely on all matters affecting them, their views being given due weight in accordance with their age and maturity, on an equal basis with other children, and to be provided with disability and age-appropriate assistance. Despite the fact that Pakistan has a National Plan of Action for Children and a Plan for Disabled Persons, the fact is that these plans are inadequately funded and thus poorly implemented. The problem has been further compounded after the 18th constitutional amendment and devolution of power to the provinces. It is high time that both the National Plan of Action for Children and the National Plan for Persons with Disabilities be revisited and updated in line with the new realities, including the provision of adequate resources for implementation.